Glaucoma Surgery & Treatment Center in Abilene, TX

There are several conventional surgical options available when treating Glaucoma and a professional analysis with our staff will help us determine the appropriate procedure for your condition.

For unresponsive and progressing cases of glaucoma, a Trabeculectomy may be recommended. This surgery creates a new drainage site for the improperly draining eye fluid, to assist the filtering and drainage through a new location. Instead of going through the normal drainage site of the eye (the trabecular meshwork), the fluid is drained through a new space that is created underneath the outer covering (the conjunctiva) of the eye. After the surgery, the eye fluid will be able to drain more effectively, reducing pressure and symptoms.

If medication and trabeculectomy treatments have not produced significant relief, a tube shunt implant may be needed to provide proper results. These are devices that are implanted in the eye to provide an artificial drainage system for eye fluid. They allow excess fluid to drain through a small tube and safely absorb into surrounding tissue outside of the eye. These tubes come in many different varieties that include Express Shunts, a patented device. This procedure is normally recommended after other surgical treatments have been unsuccessful, or is practical for patients in whose case other surgeries would fail, such as those with neovascular glaucoma or corneal transplants.

For mild to moderate cases of glaucoma, an Istent implant may offer a solution to the symptoms of glaucoma. Istent implantation can only be done during cataract surgery and if the patient has not had a Trabeculectomy glaucoma surgery in the past. This small device is implanted directly into the trabecular meshwork, which is your eye’s naturally functioning drainage system. When this drainage channel is not able to provide sufficient flow of fluid out of the eye, pressure builds up, causing glaucoma. An Istent creates a permanent opening within this channel, allowing proper and continuous drainage of eye fluid through the normal drainage site, reducing eye pressure.