Can Surgery Help Glaucoma?

Millions of people around the United States have been diagnosed with glaucoma, a disease affecting your eyes that can threaten your sight. If you have glaucoma, you need prompt diagnosis and treatment to protect you from degenerative vision impairment or eventual blindness.

In many cases, surgical treatment can work to reduce the impact of glaucoma on your eyes. With harmful pressure relieved, your eyes can recover their full function. You can trust the experienced team of ophthalmologists at Smart Eye Care of Brooklyn, New York to correctly diagnose and treat your glaucoma.

Damaging pressure in your eyes

When you have glaucoma, you experience build-ups of fluid in the area around your eye or eyes. The pressure of this fluid can permanently damage your optic nerve, the center of transmission between your eyes and your brain. Damage to your optic nerve will lead to progressively worsening vision impairment, and eventually, possible total blindness.

Getting diagnosed promptly makes a big difference when you have glaucoma. You should be screened for glaucoma after age 40, or if you have other risk factors, like diabetes or a family history of glaucoma. Once we've identified your glaucoma, the Smart Eye Care team can get started putting together a treatment plan to save your vision.

At Smart Eye Care, we approach treatment for glaucoma conservatively, starting with noninvasive options, like light therapy, eye drops, or other medications. However, if your glaucoma is advanced, or resists initial treatment, surgical procedures may be indicated.

How surgical treatment can help

We can use multiple types of surgical procedures to reduce pressure in your eyes and protect your vision. You could benefit from laser treatment, or you may need incisional surgery. If your glaucoma is advanced, you may need multiple surgical procedures to safeguard your vision. The best way to minimize your treatment needs is early detection and prompt intervention.

With laser treatment, we make a small cut in your eye to reduce your intraocular pressure. If you need more intensive intervention, we can implant the iStent®, a specialized device to drain fluid away from your eye region. Another incisional procedure that may help is EndoCycloPhotocoagulation (ECP). During surgical treatment with ECP, we insert a small probe that stops your eye from producing excess fluid.

To discuss your glaucoma symptoms and diagnosis with the Smart Eye Care team, get in touch with our Brooklyn, New York City offices today. You can schedule your initial consultation appointment with Edward Rubinchik, MD, Evelyn Icasiano, MD, Leon Aleksandrovich, MD, or William Kestin MD at Smart Eye Care by calling our office, or request an appointment with the online tool.