New Delhi: Glaucoma is a blinding disorder if left untreated. It is a progressive and permanent damage of the optic nerve that arises due to high pressure in the eye. This eye pressure can be reduced by use of medications or surgery. The eye can be seen as a balloon filled with a special form of water (called aqueous humor) which gets produced and drains out constantly causing a flow. Most medications work on reducing the production of aqueous while a few work on increasing drainage. But if the sieve like drainage system of the eye (called trabecular meshwork) is blocked, then a surgery is needed to open it. This surgery is called a trabeculectomy surgery.
What is trabeculectomy?
In this surgery, called trabeculectomy, a small hole is made in the eye and a flap of eye tissue is used to create a valve like system where if the eye pressure increases, fluid can flow out and the pressure remains low again. Since this hole has a tendency to close, special chemicals are applied to reduce the healing process.
While interacting with News9Live, Dr Digvijay Singh, Director, Noble Eye Care, Gurugram, explained what the procedure is and its benefits.
“Trabeculectomy is amongst the oldest of glaucoma surgeries and till date is the most effective and considered a gold standard. It can be performed in children and elderly alike and has a large data of long term follow up available. Over time, it has been seen that a well done trabeculectomy surgery is a safe option in glaucoma. So now the question: Is trabeculectomy a major surgery? Quite simply, the answer is yes. It is an invasive surgery in the eye with a potential for more complications than a cataract surgery and a need for constant follow up. If done well it serves its purpose and lasts a long time,” said Dr Singh.
Should one be afraid of a trabeculectomy?
“No. It is a surgery that doctors recommend only when there is a need to control eye pressure and medicines are not being able to do that. If not done at that point, there can be a permanent loss of vision and hence a patient should not delay the procedure due to fear. Trabeculectomy requires a long term follow up and is not a surgery that can just be done and forgotten,” explained Dr Singh.
In the recent past, more forms of glaucoma surgeries have come into practice. These include minimally invasive surgeries such as stents, goniotomy and trabeculotomy and more invasive ones such as the glaucoma drainage devices also called valves. The glaucoma specialist has a large armamentarium of surgeries at their disposal to manage glaucoma and hence in today’s day and age, there is no need to fear an invasive procedure for preventing this blinding disease.
In this surgery, called trabeculectomy, a small hole is made in the eye and a flap of eye tissue is used to create a valve like system where if the eye pressure increases, fluid can flow out and the pressure remains low again. Since this hole has a tendency to close, special chemicals are applied to reduce the healing process. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
