Surgical Procedures for Glaucoma

Laser Surgery

A high-energy beam of light is used to make changes to the eye to ease pressure. Common surgeries are:

• Trabeculoplasty —This is done to treat open-angle glaucoma. Tiny burns are made in the drainage area of the eye. This will let fluid drain more freely.
• Iridotomy —This is often done to treat angle-closure glaucoma. A small hole is made in the iris. This will let fluid drain more freely and help widen the drainage angle.
• Cyclophotocoagulation —This is done on people with severe glaucoma who are not helped by other methods. A laser or freezing probe is used to destroy some parts of the eye that make fluid. This will reduce how much fluid is made.

Incisional Surgery

Small cuts are used to make changes to the eye to ease pressure. Common surgeries are:

• Trabeculectomy —Small tools are used to make a tiny hole in the white of the eye where it meets the cornea. This will let fluid drain out from the hole and get absorbed back into the blood. Some people may also have a valve placed in a small incision.
• Mechanical shunts —People with severe glaucoma may have a shunt placed. This is a small tube that is placed in the eye to help fluid drain freely.

Microinvasive Surgery

Microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) uses stents, bypasses, and implants to make new channels in the eye. The channels let fluid drain out from the eye and get absorbed back into the blood.