Mr Graeme Rogers
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Glaucoma Specialist at Dublin Ophthalmic, Beacon Hospital, Dublin
It is estimated that around a quarter of a million people in Ireland are currently diagnosed with glaucoma. It is a serious, progressive eye disease, which left untreated, can lead to blindness.
Glaucoma is a serious, progressive group of eye diseases, which left untreated, can lead to blindness. It can be difficult to detect without an eye test – most types of glaucoma have no symptoms. Glaucoma is sometimes caused by an increase in pressure in the fluid in the eye when the fluid cannot drain adequately.
Glaucoma is a serious, progressive group of eye diseases, which left untreated, can lead to blindness.
Lifelong glaucoma management
Damage to the optic nerve is permanent and irreversible, so it is very important to lower the fluid pressure in the eye. Once diagnosed, the most common treatment is prescription eye drops, which will help to either reduce the fluid production or increase the drainage of fluid from the eye. These eye drops need to be applied up to three times a day, every day for the rest of your life, so perseverance can become challenging, limiting the efficacy of the treatment.
Innovations in medical implants
An international study has shown 72% of patients who were treated with iStent inject® no longer need to take glaucoma medication after 12 months1. 2
The device comprises of microscopic 0.36mm stents which are implanted into the eye. When in place, they aren’t visible to the human eye. The stents work by helping to restore the eye’s natural fluid outflow, thus reducing ocular pressure3.
The surgery is elegant and can be carried out at the same time as cataract surgery, or during a separate procedure, usually under local anaesthetic by an ophthalmologist. iStent inject® has an excellent safety profile and is performed by eye surgeons while you are awake. There are a significant number of studies that show its efficacy and safety2.
Today the original iStent® and iStent inject® have been implanted in over 700,000 eyes around the world, with more and more patients who have glaucoma benefit from the procedure every day.
Trabecular micro-bypass surgery, namely iStent implantation, can be a good alternative treatment.
For more details, visit www.glaukos.com/en-uk
