What is Glaucoma Surgery?

Glaucoma surgery is surgery to lower pressure inside the eye.

Glaucoma © 2009 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

It is done to treat glaucoma . The inside of the eye is normally bathed by a clear fluid. The fluid flows in and out of the front chamber of the eye. In most cases of glaucoma, this fluid flows too slowly out of the eye. The fluid builds up and increases the pressure inside the eye. If this pressure is not controlled, it can cause damage to the eye and loss of vision. This surgery is done to lower the amount of pressure in the eye. Decreasing the pressure may be needed to prevent further loss of vision.

It is important to note that while glaucoma surgery may save your remaining vision, it does not improve or restore sight.

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have glaucoma surgery, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Sensitivity to light
• Infection
• Long-term irritation and inflammation of the eye
• Bleeding
• Loss of vision
• Need for more surgery

Risk factors for complications include, but are not limited to:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart and lung disease
• Bleeding disorders
• Infection

Call Your Doctor

After arriving home, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Sudden and/or severe eye pain
• Loss of vision or other eyesight changes
• Signs of infection, including fever and chills *...