Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in the US. There are often no warnings or symptoms, and unfortunately, vision loss caused by glaucoma is irreversible.
Although there is no way to restore sight that has been lost due to glaucoma, if caught early enough, you can treat the condition, protect the sight you have left, and hopefully prevent further vision loss from occurring.
In the last two decades, advancements in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) have improved the safety and effectiveness of treating mild to moderate glaucoma.
One of the primary causes of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure caused by fluid accumulation inside the eye – over time this pressure can damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss.
MIGS lowers intraocular pressure by helping the fluid in the eye (known as the aqueous humor) drain out properly. This can be achieved by using a laser, surgical device, or a microstent to reduce pressure.
While glaucoma has been traditionally treated with medicated eye drops, many glaucoma patients have difficulty taking their drops as prescribed. This is likely due to inconvenience, unpleasant side effects such as dry eye or simply forgetting to take them. However, not taking the prescribed drops properly can lead to disease progression.
MIGS treatments can help reduce the dependence of medicated eye drops, giving you a chance for fewer interruptions during your day, and most importantly, by helping to reduce the damaging pressure in the eye.
There are a number of MIGs procedures and devices that your surgeon can choose from depending on the characteristics of your eyes. These include:
- iStent inject® W procedure implants two microscopic drains inside your eye during cataract surgery to increase your eye’s natural fluid outflow to safely lower eye pressure.
- Hydrus® Microstent procedure improves eye drainage to relieve pressure by expanding the eye’s natural drainage canal.
- Kahook Dual Blade® is a special blade used in a quick, painless procedure to make two precise, parallel micro-incisions in your eye to allow proper drainage.
- Xen® Gel stent is a surgically implanted stent designed to lower high eye pressure in open-angle glaucoma patients.
- OMNI® Glaucoma Treatment System is the only device that combines two well-established MIGS procedures into one using a single device and single corneal incision.
- ECP procedure uses a laser to treat the ciliary body of the eye, which creates the fluid in your eye, and reduces fluid production.
Tyson Eye is regarded as one of the premier eye care centers in Southwest Florida. Our surgeons and doctors have helped thousands of people with their vision and have consistently introduced break-through technology to the area – including the latest MIGS procedures. Tyson Eye is committed to excellence by delivering modern technology with old fashioned concern.
If you currently use medicated eye drops to manage your glaucoma, ask one of our expert ophthalmologists if a MIGS procedure could be an option for you. Schedule an appointment with us today or call 239-542-2020.
