Glaucoma Treatment
Treatment is usually the application of eye drops. Sometimes more than one type is used together to help relieve the pressure from the optic nerve. A combination of eye drops and oral medications may be prescribed.
Laser treatment or surgery may be required if medication doesn’t lower the intraocular pressure enough. Laser surgery is done is the doctor’s office and typically lasts 10 to 20 minutes, the purpose being to open the clogged drains so the aqueous can drain.
One type of surgery called a trabeculectomy involves an incision in the sclera or white of the eye to remove a tiny section of the trabecular meshwork. This allows the aqueous to drain. The hole is covered, and antibiotics are prescribed. Drainage implants are sometimes used for children or patients with secondary glaucoma.
