Treatments for glaucoma

There are different ways to operate on glaucoma, which are briefly described below:

Laser treatment

Laser rays are used in a variety of ways to treat cataracts.

Argon laser

This type of laser is used to open holes in the trabecular mesentery. This operation is called ALT and SLT operation. This method is useful for the treatment of open angle glaucoma.

Yag Laser

This type of laser is used to treat narrow angle glaucoma. It drills holes in the iris that act as an alternative drainage route.

Diode laser

This type of laser has been used to treat neovascular glaucoma. Modern research is now recommending that this laser can be used to treat open angle glaucoma.

Different surgical operation to create an an artificial route for drainage

There are different methods for creating artificial routes for drainage. These are used in different types of glaucoma. The following are the most commonly used:

• Trabeculectomy
• Trabeculotomy

How is open angle glaucoma treated?

The treatment of this disease depends on the stage at which the patient comes to the doctor.

Nowadays laser treatment is first choice treatment at early stage of the diseases. Most patients can be successfully treated with a laser. By application of laser we open the closed pores in the trabecular meshwork. This results into proper drainage of the liquid into the bloodstream and  thus lowering the intraocular pressure. In other words, most people’s glaucoma disappear almost permanently. However, many people are at risk of recurrence of the defect, so it is important that the patient be examined periodically.

Many patients have to use medication despite having a laser. However, the amount of medicine and potency medicines is reduced after laser treatment.

If the severity of the disease has increased, the chances of benefiting from the laser are less. ۔

If the damage continues despite the use of medication, then the disease is to be treated with surgical operation. The vision may not become completely normal, but in time surgery can prevent blindness.

If there are practical problems with the operation or if it is necessary to postpone the operation due to some other illness, then there is no other option but to use medicines.

How narrow angle glaucoma is treated?

When acute congested glaucoma has been developed, thetreatment becomes almost impossible to treat. There are very few lucky ones whose eyes can be saved at this stage. If proper treatment is not given at this stage, then the eye becomes permanently blind. This attack should be treated urgently. Even one minute is precious at this stage. Many people who are blind due to glaucoma, they actually developed this stage. Best treatment is to prevent development of this critical stage! prophylactic measures are the actual treament!

If both the doctor and the patient behave as responsible persons and deal with the symptoms and signs carefully at the early stage of the disease, the narrow angle glaucoma can easily be diagnosed and the patient can be prevented from the accident of becoming blind. But unfortunately the eyes of many people in our country get lost idue to missing of diagnosis at early stage! One narrow angle glaucoma has been diagnosed or has been suspected, the patients should not waste time. Doctors should listen carefully to symptoms of the patients and should not neglect to check the intraocular pressure.

Treatment methods

• The treatment of this disease depends on the stage at which the patient comes to the doctor.
• At the early stages of the disease, first priority treatment is laser treatment. Most patients can be treated with a laser. With the help of a laser machine, a thin hole is made inside the iris. This acts as alternative route of drainage in case of pupil blockage and prevents the development of the acute congestive stage. In other words, with this treatment at an early stage glaucoma can disappear almost permanently.
• But if the severity of the disease has increased, the chances of benefiting from the laser are less. In this case, surgery is necessary. The vision may not be recovered completely with surgery, but timely surgery can prevent blindness.
• If there are some operative risks or if it is necessary to postpone the operation due to some other illness, then the treatment with medicines can also be considered.

It is commonly said that glaucoma cannot be cured and even if it is treated, the treatment fails! Is this true?

There are actually many types of glaucoma, some of which are actually almost incurable. But the most important thing is at what stage of the disease the treatment was started!

If treament started at an early stage, it is 100% successful. and if treatment of glaucoma is initiated when the disease was much advanced, then it is very likely that the treatment will be of no use at all. The most important thing is that the damage that already has occurred at the time of initiation of the treatment will not recover! People come to us for treatment very late, rather most of the people come when the disease is at endstage! Due to this reason it has been misconcepted that the disease is incurable.

لیزر کی یہ قسم نیووسکولر گلوکوما کے علاج کیلئے استعمال کی جاتی رہی  ہے۔ اب جدید تحقیقات میں سفارشات کی جا رہی ہیں کی اس لیزر کو اوپن اینگل گلوکوما کے علاج کے لئے بھی استعمال کیا جانا چاہئے۔

مصنوعی رستہ بنانے کا طریقہ

مواد کی نکاسی کیلئے  مصنوعی بنانے کے مختلف طریقے ہیں جو رکاوٹ کی مختلف قسموں میں مختیار کئے جاتے ہیں۔ ان میں درج ذیل زیادہ مستعمل ہیں:

Trabeclectomy

Trabeculotomy

This laser machine is used to treat

• Narrow angle glaucoma.
• After-cataract which develops in eyes which have been operated for cataract..

In the following picture glaucoma is being treated.

یہ لیزر مشین جسے Yag laser کہتے ہیں درج ذیل مقاصد کیلئے استعمال کی جاتی ہےَ:

• نیرواینگل گلوکوما  کے علاج کیلئے۔ اس کے ذریعے آئرس میں سوراخ کئے جاتے ہیں جو نکاسی کے لئے متبادل راستے کا کام کرتے ہیں۔
• سفید موتیا کے اپریشن کے بن جانے والی جھلی کو ختم کرنے کیلئے۔