How Lasers Can Help Treat Glaucoma

Laser Surgery Can Give You Control Over Your Glaucoma

Glaucoma is not an easy condition to manage. You may have to take eye drops several times a day. You may need to take oral medications. Your glaucoma medications can have side effects. Even with all of this, you may still have symptoms of glaucoma and trouble keeping your eye pressure down. However, your ophthalmologist may be able to help you regain control over your vision with one of several laser procedures, such as selective laser trabeculoplasty, commonly called SLT. In narrow-angle glaucoma, a Yag laser can be used to create a small opening in the iris (peripheral iridtotomy) about the size of a pinhead which can often cure narrow-angle glaucoma.

What kind of laser surgery is SLT?

SLT applies laser energy to the drainage channel of the eye. This starts a series of chemical and structural changes that increase drainage from the eye. In one to three months, your intraocular pressure (your IOP) may be lowered as much as 30 percent. You may still need some medication, but it's accurate to think of SLT as equivalent to one medication. You will need less medication after this SLT laser procedure.

I thought glaucoma patients couldn't have laser surgery?

Some procedures for refractive correction (correcting nearsightedness or farsightedness) require the use of a device called a femtosecond laser. This ultra-fast laser creates a flap in the cornea without the surgeon's need for a scalpel, but it also dramatically increases eye pressure. Fortunately, there are alternative laser devices for bladeless surgery for refractive correction for patients who have glaucoma.

This procedure isn't about correcting nearsightedness or farsightedness. It's about lowering eye pressure, and the laser is used in a different part of the eye called the angle. SLT and similar procedures such as micropulse laser trabeculoplasty (MLT) and argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) aren't just safe for glaucoma patients, they often are just what you need to treat glaucoma by lowering your pressure and reducing the number and frequency of your eye drops.

Is SLT a permanent cure for glaucoma?

The effects of SLT laser surgery for treating glaucoma tend to wear off after a few months or even years but the procedure can be repeated.

Find a local LASIK surgeon near you to help you decide if Laser Glaucoma surgery is an option for you.

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