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Doctor's Advice
Symptoms and Treatment of Glaucoma
Dr Mohammed Sohaib Mustafa,
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Specialist in Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery at Moor elds Eye Hospital Dubai.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and the number one cause of irreversible blindness. However, the disease is treatable, and blindness can be prevented through early diagnosis. Although children and young adults can be affected by glaucoma, high risk groups include people over 40, diabetics and those with a family history of glaucoma.
One of the earliest symptoms of glaucoma is having a cloudy-looking cornea, especially in children. Some of the other warning signs include increased sensitivity to light, having redness in the eyes accompanied with sharp pain and sometimes even nausea when the pain is severe, as well as, loss of peripheral vision, also known as tunnel vision. The good news is that it can be treated effectively through medication although some patients may still need surgery. Some of the treatment options include:
1- Trabeculectomy
According to the International Glaucoma Association, “Trabeculectomy is a surgical operation
which lowers the intraocular pressure inside the eye (IOP) in patients with glaucoma. This is achieved by making a small hole in the eye wall (sclera), covered by a thin trap-door in the sclera.”
2- Glaucoma drainage device
Glaucoma drainage devices are an alternative to surgical procedures for glaucoma. According to a recent large clinical study, the Baerveldt Tube Surgery technique is designed to transport the aqueous humour to an external reservoir. Within a month or two after the procedure, a capsule is formed around the uid to regulate its ow.
3- Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty
Glaucoma is often caused by raised pressure within the eye caused by poor drainage of uid through the eye’s drainage channels (trabecular meshwork). With SLT, a laser is used to improve drainage. It is a quick and painless outpatient procedure and can be used as a rst line treatment option.
4- Micropulse
Micropulse laser is an alternative laser procedure that aims to reduce the amount of uid that the
53 EYEZONE Issue 91-92 May / August 2020