Glaucoma Specialist

Glaucoma Q & A

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that causes damage to your optic nerve. The primary characteristic of glaucoma is excess pressure within your eye. Glaucoma is also a leading cause of blindness in men and women over the age of 60.

There are two primary types of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma.

Primary open-angle glaucoma

This is the most common type of glaucoma, and occurs gradually due to an inability of your eye to properly drain fluid. That fluid builds up, placing pressure on your optic nerve. The condition presents no symptoms in the early stages.

Angle-closure glaucoma

This type of glaucoma occurs suddenly when your iris blocks the drainage angle in your eye. This causes the pressure within the affected eye to swiftly rise, leading to sudden symptoms like severe eye pain and blurry vision. Angle-closure glaucoma can also develop slowly in some men and women.

Because most cases of glaucoma don’t present clear symptoms in the early stages, scheduling routine eye exams is a critical part of catching the condition as early as possible.

Can medication help treat glaucoma?

Some medications can reduce pressure within your eye and slow nerve damage and vision loss. However, there are limitations to what medication therapy alone can achieve.

Medications also come with a risk of side effects, some of which can be serious. Very often, surgical intervention is the best way to resolve glaucoma and prevent further damage to your optic nerve.

What types of procedures can treat glaucoma?

At Tayani Institute, you have access to the latest treatments for glaucoma. One approach is called selective laser trabeculoplasty. This is a type of laser surgery that lowers pressure within your eye. The process uses laser energy to heat certain pigmented tissues in your eye to create changes that improve drainage.

Traditional trabeculectomy reduces pressure by creating a small hole in your sclera covered by a thin flap of tissue. This “trap door” allows fluid to drain before pressure reaches a dangerous level. Another approach uses an implanted drainage tube, allowing fluid to drain externally.

To learn more about your diagnostic and treatment options for glaucoma, schedule an appointment at Tayani Institute today, online or over the phone.

DURYSTA®

DURYSTA® is the first and only FDA-approved dissolvable ocular implant to reduce eye pressure in patients with open angle glaucoma or high eye pressure (ocular hypertension). Just 1 implant can reduce eye pressure for several months. As DURYSTA dissolves, it automatically releases preservative-free medicine to help reduce high pressure inside your eye. No more routine eye drops!

Learn more about DURYSTA® at durysta.com/

Cataract surgery and glaucoma therapy – all in one procedure

If you have been managing your glaucoma with medication, and are now preparing for cataract surgery, iStent inject® W may be an ideal option for you. By taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during cataract surgery, you can address both of these conditions at the same time.

Implanted at the time of cataract surgery, iStent inject® W includes two tiny stents that are designed to help you effectively manage your intraocular pressure, which can prevent the progression of glaucoma. In some cases, iStent inject® W may even allow your doctor to reduce your glaucoma medication. Worldwide, Glaukos devices have been implanted in hundreds of thousands of eyes, with more patients benefiting from this technology every day.