Glaucoma Surgery Durango, CO

Besides cutting-edge laser treatment, surgery is another option for patients diagnosed with glaucoma. At Southwest Eye Consultants in Durango, Colorado, our highly trained surgeons offer both conventional surgery as well as the latest techniques in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).

Traditional Glaucoma Surgical Procedures

The goal of all glaucoma surgery is to create a new drainage channel for fluids that are clogged and subsequently damage the optic nerve. To achieve this, eye surgeons rely on two basic types of surgical approaches:

• Trabeculectomy is a procedure in which a tiny flap is created in the sclera (the white of your eye) along with a pocket in the conjunctiva (the thin membrane between the inside of your eyelids and the white portion of your eye) called a filtration bleb. Usually hidden under the upper eyelid, this allows fluid to drain out of the eye through the flap and into the bleb where it is absorbed by the tissue around your eye, thus lowering eye pressure.
• Glaucoma drainage devices, such as a tiny drainage tube (shunt), may be implanted in your eye, sending the fluid to a reservoir created beneath the conjunctiva, where it is then absorbed into nearby blood vessels.

These standard glaucoma surgeries are often quite effective in lowering eye pressure and preventing the progression of glaucoma, but they involve extensive cutting of the sclera and conjunctiva and may be fraught with complications.

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

With the introduction of MIGS (also called micro invasive glaucoma surgery), many of the complications of traditional glaucoma surgeries are a thing of the past. That’s because MIGS procedures are performed using microscopic-sized equipment and involve tiny incisions and even tinier devices. In fact, the iStent, a type of shunt, is the smallest implantable device approved for use in the human body.

MIGS procedures involve limited surgical manipulation of the sclera and conjunctiva. This, combined with the use of smaller stents and shunts, makes surgery quicker and safer while also reducing eye pressure to help protect the optic nerve from further damage.

There are a number of FDA-approved MIGS procedures with more being studied in clinical trials. While MIGS procedures are safer than traditional glaucoma surgery, many are appropriate only for mild to moderate glaucoma because they are not as effective in lowering eye pressure.

For Comprehensive Glaucoma Diagnsosis and Treatment Contact Southwest Eye Consultants Today!

To learn more about our advanced, minimally invasive glaucoma surgical procedures and whether you are a suitable candidate for this type of treatment, contact Southwest Eye Consultants today at (970) 828-2200 and schedule a comprehensive evaluation with one of our board-certified ophthalmologists. You can also request an appointment online and we will promptly get in touch with you.