While there is no cure for glaucoma, Dr. Christian can offer treatment in many ways. Your specific condition will determine the treatment or combination of treatments necessitated in order to control your glaucoma and prevent your eyes from worsening.
Ophthalmologists aren’t simply eye doctors. They are specialists in the field of the eye and can not only diagnose eye conditions, they can perform the surgery required to correct virtually any condition of the eye.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that prevents eye fluid from draining and flowing properly, causing a buildup of pressure in the eye itself. This pressure damages the delicate fibers of the optic nerve and over time, when enough fibers are damaged, blind spots develop in your field of vision. This damage is permanent and at worst case, causes blindness.
Glaucoma symptoms
- Eye pain
- Nausea and vomiting (accompanying the severe eye pain)
- Sudden onset of visual disturbance, often in low light
- Blurred vision
- Halos around lights
- Reddening of the eye
If you experience any of these symptoms, please contact our office to schedule a consultation. Dr. Christian will perform a thorough eye exam to determine the correct course of action.
Glaucoma treatment
Besides oral medication and medicated eye drops, you might need surgery. Glaucoma surgery takes many forms depending on how the disease affects your eye.
Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT) for open-angle glaucoma
This procedure works similar to laser surgery. It treats the trabecular meshwork of the eye. The trabecular meshwork is the tissue in the eye responsible for the drainage of fluid from the area behind the cornea. Targeting this meshwork increases drainage and thereby decreases eye pressure. Argon laser trabeculoplasty has successfully lowered eye pressure in up to 75% of patients treated.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) for open-angle glaucoma
SLT is a newer laser that uses very low levels of energy. It is called "selective" because it leaves portions of the trabecular meshwork intact. Because of this, it is thought that SLT, unlike other types of laser surgery, may be safely repeated.
Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) for angle-closure glaucoma
This procedure is used to make an opening through the iris, allowing fluid to flow from behind the iris directly to the front of the eye. This is actually bypassing its normal route but is sometimes necessary on some patients due to the nature of their glaucoma.
Schedule a consultation
If you know you have glaucoma or are experiencing one of the symptoms above, your next step is a consultation with Dr. Christian. During this time, he will perform any necessary exams in order to determine the best course of action in order to control your glaucoma. Please call our office today to schedule a consultation.
