New Treatments For Glaucoma – Canaloplasty & Trabectome


Glaucoma TreatmentResidents of Green Bay in America now have access to a brand new glaucoma treatment.

Due to the lack of symptoms, over 50% of patients who have the condition do not know they do, according to the Glaucoma Research Foundation. 

Glaucoma is a condition where the pressure inside the eyeball increases, usually due a blockage preventing the natural fluid in the eye from re-circulating. If not treated promptly, the increased pressure within the eye can lead to damage of vital components in the visual pathway, such as the retina. In severe cases, it can even cause blindness.

The current standard treatment for glaucoma is laser eye surgery and eye drops, to try and remove the blockage in the eye and drain some of the excess fluid. However for some people these procedures are unsuccessful, leaving them to undergo a final option of invasive eye surgery to try and correct the problem. The surgery is complex and the recovery period is up to 6 weeks.

A new method of treatment called canaloplasty is revolutionising glaucoma treatment in America. A small incision is made through the canal in the eye that allows fluid to drain, which is usually blocked in glaucoma. This allows fluid to move out from the eye, decreasing the pressure and preventing any further damage. The procedure takes over 40 minutes and has an associated recovery time of just 3 days. Even though the procedure takes longer than most glaucoma treatments, the outcomes and recovery time is vastly improved. Patients who have had canaloplasty say it has helped ‘save their vision’.

One drawback to canaloplasty is that patients who have undergone previous eye surgery are unsuitable for treatment in this way. Scar tissue that builds up following previous surgery makes the procedure nigh on impossible.

A second new glaucoma treatment - trabectome is also being used. This procedure takes only 10 minutes and is similar to canaloplasty. It involves tissue removal to relieve the pressure inside the eye.

Both procedures are still very young, only about 5 years old. Many ophthalmologists prefer using the gold standard treatment (the best) known as trabeculectomy. This procedure is time tested, having been used worldwide for over 20 years.

Hopefully with further research and use, both canaloplasty and trabectome can become common place as effective tools for the treatment of glaucoma.

June 23rd 2009

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