Glaucoma
Laser Surgery
The glaucoma laser surgery is often used as a last resort when all
other treatments have failed to control the condition. Glaucoma is
known to be a disease that affects the eye. The condition is known to
damage the optic nerve as a result of high pressure inside the eye.
The pressure inside the eye builds up over time gradually harming the
optic nerve until the vision is completely lost. Even when age plays an
important role in the development of the disease, it can affect people
of all ages.
The most common types of glaucoma are open angle and angle closure. In
the open angle the drainage canals in the eyes are not blocked at the
beginning but further inside they are. In this type the vision loss is
so gradual that it can be easily go unnoticed until is too late. In the
angle closure type the angle between the cornea and the iris is too
small and the drainage is completely clogged. This type will usually
give several signs like nausea, headaches, eye pain and blurred vision.
The causes for the condition are not very clear certain risk factors
are: having an eye injury, other eye problems like myopia, genetics
also play an important role, diabetes and in some cases hypertension.
There are many ways to treat the problem, one of them is by using
glaucoma laser surgery. This type of treatment is generally used after
medications have failed to lower the pressure inside the eye.
The surgical procedure is normally painless and some cloudy vision and
irritation is possible once the operation has finished. These symptoms
will usually disappear the next day. This surgery like all others has
risks. Some problems associated with it are a temporary increase or
decrease in the intraocular pressure and the formation of cataracts.
These problems occur rarely and can be solved with some medications.
The operation is often used as the last alternative but is way better
than dealing with the consequences of the disease. The laser treatment
works very effectively in preventing further damage to the optic nerve
and blindness. The glaucoma laser surgery can be used to treat the most
common types of glaucoma. The primary open angle type is treated by
reducing the internal pressure of the eye with the selective laser
trabeculoplasty (SLT). The pressure is decreased by incrementing the
drainage of the aqueous fluid. This is done by treating the tissue in
the trabecular meshwork.
Another similar procedure using an laser is used to open the drainage
canals of the eye. This specific procedure will require the use of
medication to keep the intraocular pressure from rising again.
The angle closure type is often treated with the laser peripheral
iridotomy (LPI). The procedure requires making a small opening in the
iris. The opening will allow the iris to move away from the cornea,
increasing the angle and allowing a greater aqueous flow. Laser
cyclophotocoagulation is used to treat the most severe cases of
glaucoma. The procedure aims a laser to the ciliary body in the eye, by
doing this the eye produces less fluid reducing the pressure. The
glaucoma laser surgery can be a way to cure your condition; consult with your doctor about any other alternative you might have.
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