Glaucoma surgery

Trabeculectomy

Trabeculectomy is the gold standard in glaucoma surgery. Effective reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) is achieved by creating a small opening in the sclera at its junction with the cornea. The opening is not visible and is located beneath the upper eyelid. Trabeculectomy can be performed in open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma when antiglaucoma eye drops cannot reduce IOP sufficiently and procedures such as laser trabeculoplasty or laser iridotomy have already been performed, or when one of these procedures cannot be performed for specific reasons. The operation is carried out under local anaesthesia. Recovery takes about one month and includes the use of eye drops. The patient is discharged home immediately after the procedure.

Trabeculectomy with a filtration implant

Trabeculectomy with an eXpress shunt filtration implant may be performed when a more predictable reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) is desired after surgery, or after a trabeculectomy when IOP has risen again. The operation is carried out under local anaesthesia. Recovery takes about one month and includes the use of eye drops. The patient is discharged home immediately after the procedure.

Laser trabeculoplasty

Laser trabeculoplasty is a painless procedure that does not require pupil dilation. It takes several minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis using a local anaesthetic in the form of eye drops. Before the procedure, a glaucoma examination determines whether the type of glaucoma and the anatomy of the eye allow this treatment to be performed.

Laser iridotomy

Laser iridotomy is a painless procedure performed in carefully selected patients with angle-closure glaucoma. After preparation of the patient, the procedure itself takes a few minutes and is performed on an outpatient basis using a local anaesthetic in the form of eye drops.

Cryotherapy of the ciliary body

Cryotherapy of the ciliary body is a surgical procedure for decompensated forms of glaucoma in which eye drops no longer reduce intraocular pressure and other surgical procedures have already been performed or cannot be performed. This procedure is used only in patients with very low visual acuity caused by glaucoma damage to the optic nerve.