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Glaucoma Surgery

Glaucoma is one of the common reasons for the loss of vision, characterized by high eye pressure.

When eye drops and laser treatments fail to lower eye pressure sufficiently to halt vision loss, incisional surgery may be necessary. The most commonly performed surgical procedure to control eye pressure is trabeculectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon creates a channel for the eye fluid (aqueous humor) to drain from the eye more efficiently, thus lowering the eye pressure.

The surgeon removes a piece of tissue in the drainage angle, creating an opening which is covered by the “trap door” in the sclera of the eyeball. This new opening allows fluid to collect under the conjunctiva forming a “bleb.” The fluid is gradually absorbed into the external eye tissue and then back into the body’s circulation. Eventually a permanent opening or fistula develops at the trap door, maintaining a balanced outflow of aqueous and lowering the eye pressure on a chronic basis with or without medication.

The surgeon may also recommend that cataract surgery and trabeculectomy be performed at the same time in patients with both glaucoma and cataracts. The doctors at University Eye Specialists, P.C. will conduct all necessary examinations and recommend the treatment plan that best suits your condition.