Glaucoma

1 00:00:11.760 --> 00:00:13.780 Glaucoma is a condition of the eye where 2 00:00:13.810 --> 00:00:18.820 the pressure of the eye is too high and causes damage to the optic nerve. 3 00:00:18.850 --> 00:00:21.180 When the optic nerve gets damaged, 4 00:00:21.210 --> 00:00:25.480 that causes disruption in a patient's vision, usually with their peripheral 5 00:00:25.510 --> 00:00:30.020 vision initially and over time, resulting in loss of central vision. 6 00:00:30.050 --> 00:00:35.020 It is one of the leading causes of blindness if undiagnosed. 7 00:00:35.050 --> 00:00:36.560 Once glaucoma is diagnosed, 8 00:00:36.590 --> 00:00:41.020 there are many good treatments that can preserve vision eye drops, 9 00:00:41.050 --> 00:00:46.360 lasers like SLT and migs or microincisional glaucoma surgery that can 10 00:00:46.390 --> 00:00:49.380 perform concomitantly with cataract surgery. 11 00:00:49.410 --> 00:00:54.580 So now at the time of cataract surgery, you have more options and the ability 12 00:00:54.610 --> 00:01:00.420 to often reduce eye drops, as most patients are usually initially 13 00:01:00.450 --> 00:01:03.300 treated with eye drops for glaucoma treatment. 14 00:01:03.330 --> 00:01:05.290 When a glaucoma patient is initially 15 00:01:05.320 --> 00:01:09.740 diagnosed with glaucoma, there are usually two types of treatments 16 00:01:09.770 --> 00:01:15.280 that are offered to the patient that is equal efficacy eyedrops and there are 17 00:01:15.310 --> 00:01:19.570 several different types of eye drops and laser. 18 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:21.820 The laser that is currently used is called 19 00:01:21.850 --> 00:01:27.260 SLT, also called selective laser trabeculotomy. 20 00:01:27.290 --> 00:01:31.380 Both eyedrops and laser are usually 21 00:01:31.410 --> 00:01:36.420 utilized in the long term care of a glaucoma patient, 22 00:01:36.450 --> 00:01:42.340 whether they start with eye drops and have additional eye drops and or laser 23 00:01:42.370 --> 00:01:49.140 added over time, or they start with laser and additionally add eyedrops over time. 24 00:01:49.170 --> 00:01:53.900 Both are good options in the treatment of glaucoma. 25 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:56.850 When a glaucoma patient 26 00:01:56.880 --> 00:02:00.020 is in need of cataract surgery at that time, 27 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:03.760 there are additional treatments that can be done concomitantly with cataract 28 00:02:03.790 --> 00:02:08.380 surgery called migs microincignal glaucoma surgery. 29 00:02:08.410 --> 00:02:15.450 These additional surgeries often performed in five to ten minutes. 30 00:02:15.480 --> 00:02:18.580 Additional two cataract surgery can reduce 31 00:02:18.610 --> 00:02:24.260 or eliminate the need for eye drops over the life of the patient. 32 00:02:24.290 --> 00:02:27.780 Nowadays, patients really enjoy getting 33 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:32.780 off their eye drops for those that have been on them prior to cataract surgery. 34 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:34.580 And like cataract surgery, 35 00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:38.940 both SLT and migs are fully covered by your health insurance. 36 00:02:38.970 --> 00:02:44.580 If you'd like more information on glaucoma options, treatment, 37 00:02:44.610 --> 00:02:49.680 migs or SLT, please call my office and make an appointment.