Trabeculoplasty

Trabeculoplasty

General Techniques and Applications

Published in John G Webster, Minimally Invasive Medical Technology, 2016

In an argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) surgery, short bursts of laser energy are delivered to the trabecular meshwork, which is a spongelike ring of tissue located where the iris connects to the cornea. It is postulated that the laser bums cause shrinkage to the fibers of the spongy tissue of the angle, which then opens up drainage spaces, permitting the excessive fluid to flow through this area to be absorbed by the sinus veins.

XEN Gel Implant: a new surgical approach in glaucoma

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Journal Information

Published in Expert Review of Medical Devices, 2018

Ankita Chaudhary, Lauriane Salinas, Jacopo Guidotti, André Mermoud, Kaweh Mansouri

The treatment options available to lower the IOP in glaucoma are medications, laser, and surgeries. Medications do lower the IOP and preferred over surgeries as a first-line therapy but have the disadvantage of adverse effects and noncompliance. Noncompliance with the advised medication varies from 5% to 80% [8]. It has been linked to poor outcomes and increased health-care costs [9–11]. When medical treatment does not achieve adequate IOP reduction with acceptable adverse effects, laser or incisional surgeries are indicated. In poorly adherent patients or in those with severe disease, surgery may sometimes be offered as a first-line therapy. Laser trabeculoplasty lowers IOP by inducing biological changes in the trabecular meshwork, resulting in increased aqueous outflow. The procedure has an excellent safety profile and is performed during an office visit. Although substantial IOP reductions can be achieved in the majority of patients, the effect gradually decreases over time with a failure rate of about 10% per year [12–14].

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