GLAUCOMA

WHAT IS GLAUCOMA?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually damage the optic nerve, eventually robbing a person of vision. In order to prevent blindness, early detect is crucial. People afflicted with glaucoma often have no noticeable early symptoms, and by the time they notice a change in their vision, it may be too late to save their sight. Glaucoma is not curable, but it can be controlled. It was once thought that intraocular pressure (IOP) was the primary cause of optic nerve damage, but it has since been found that other risk factors can play a role in vision loss, even when people have normal IOP. This is one of the reasons why our physicians use a state of the art Optical Coherence Tonography (OCT) for early glaucoma detection and diagnosis.

HOW DOES GLAUCOMA AFFECT MY VISION?

Aqueous humor is a clear fluid that fills the front of your eye. It is important in helping to keep the eye healthy. Also, the aqueous fluid provides pressure to maintain the shape of the eye, like the air in a balloon. This pressure is called intraocular pressure or IOP.

In a healthy eye, the aqueous fluid flows in and out of the natural drainage system. With most types of glaucoma, this system does not work properly. The fluid inside the eye cannot drain. As a result, the pressure or IOP inside the eye increases. This pressure affects the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss.

DIAGNOSIS OF GLAUCOMA: OCT ANALYZER

Rather than measure intraocular pressure, the OCT  analyzer uses a laser to quickly and painlessly measure the thickness of the optic nerve fibers on the retinal surface, just before they come together to form the optic nerve. The OCT produces a color-coded picture of the nerve fiber layer, which allows Dr. Burns to diagnose glaucoma at the earliest possible stages.

GLAUCOMA TREATMENT OPTIONS

When glaucoma is diagnosed, the patient will be prescribed eye drops to lower the intraocular pressure. Other treatments include oral medications (which are rarely used, partly due to side effects), laser surgery, such as SLT treatment, and filtration surgery. Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty for Glaucoma Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), a surgical treatment for elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma, is an exciting recent development in open-angle glaucoma treatment. Prior to its introduction, oral medications and argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) were the primary treatment strategies for open-angle glaucoma.

How it Works

SLT works by using a specific wavelength of light to irradiate and target only the pigment-producing cells in the trabecular meshwork. The trabecular meshwork is the area which drains fluid from the eye. This is the area of the eye which is not working properly in open-angle glaucoma causing the fluid to not drain effectively, thus, resulting in elevated IOP. SLT treatment, unlike ALT treatment, does not cause any thermal damage to surrounding cells in the meshwork, thus causing less damage and scarring to these tissues. When the meshwork is treated with SLT, a biologic response occurs at the cellular level, thus leading to IOP reduction. The meshwork appears to drain fluid more easily than before treatment with SLT. This, in turn, reduces the risk that the glaucoma will progress. One of the advantages of SLT over ALT includes less thermal damage . Therefore, SLT can be repeated several times in the future, whereas ALT typically can only be repeated once. SLT has very few complications, the main one being a transient rise in IOP in the first hour after treatment. Results of SLT are very good to excellent in most patients. Patients who are using just one drop for controlling IOP have an 80% chance of a 4 to 8 point drop in their IOP after SLT treatment. our physicians will discuss with you the best and most effective treatment options for your type of glaucoma. He is happy to provide SLT treatment in his office now in order to make it more convenient for you. Please contact our office today if you are interested in finding out more about SLT treatment for glaucoma.

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