A. The estimated cost of glaucoma surgery In India usually starts $1500 however, it may go up to as much as $3500. it depends on the hospital charges and the fee charged by the surgeon. This price usually does not cover the post-operational therapy programs.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by an abnormally high pressure in your eye.
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults.
Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is at an advanced stage.
Because vision loss due to glaucoma can’t be recovered, it’s important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure so a diagnosis can be made in its early stages and treated appropriately. If glaucoma is recognized early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have the condition, you’ll generally need treatment for the rest of your life.
The signs and symptoms of glaucoma vary depending on the type and stage of your condition. For example:
If left untreated, glaucoma will eventually cause blindness. Even with treatment, about 15 percent of people with glaucoma become blind in at least one eye within 20 years.
✅ Your doctor will review your medical history and conduct a comprehensive eye examination. He or she may perform several tests, including:
Because chronic forms of glaucoma can destroy vision before any signs or symptoms are apparent, be aware of these risk factors:
Other treatment options include laser therapy and various surgical procedures. The following techniques are intended to improve the drainage of fluid within the eye, thereby lowering pressure:
Although the standard treatment plan for most glaucoma patients has been to avoid surgeries, including minor laser operations, unless absolutely necessary, some newer medical studies have found that low-impact selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) can be the first intervention for open-angle glaucoma, followed by prescription eye drops.
Both these procedures create a “controlled flow” of aqueous humor from your eye, to reduce pressure. A goniotomy is a similar procedure, but designed specifically to alleviate fluid pressure in the eyes of newborns or infants.
An iridectomy surgically removes a small piece of the iris to allow better flow for people with narrow-angle glaucoma.
For example, a deep sclerectomy involves a minimally invasive incision into the sclera to create another place for the eye to drain. A newer procedure, called a viscocanalostomy, opens a small space for your surgeon to put a tiny piece of viscoelastic gel into your eye to hold open a new drainage port so your eye pressure lowers.
Typically, your optometrist or ophthalmologist will try to control your eye pressure with eye drops, or a combination of eye drops and laser procedures, since these are minimally invasive. Drainage tubes and filtering surgery both require an operating room and a specific surgeon. Since traditional surgeries involve longer recovery times, they are usually considered last-resort options.
After your procedure, you’ll need to see your doctor for follow-up exams. And you may eventually need to undergo additional procedures if your eye pressure begins to rise or other changes occur in your eye.
✅ Recovery time after glaucoma surgery varies per patient and per surgery, but most patients heal within 3 to 6 weeks. Reserve the day after the surgery for recovery time. During the rest of the recovery time, it’s generally recommended that postoperative glaucoma patients avoid strenuous activity.
These self-care steps can help you detect glaucoma in its early stages, which is important in preventing vision loss or slowing its progress.
A. Both filtration surgery and glaucoma laser surgery recovery periods have similar timeframes. You can expect about a month for a full recovery. Quicker recovery periods last about 3 weeks. While a more involved recovery may take up to 6 weeks time.
A. Glaucoma surgery also uses dissolvable stitches to suture the eye after surgery. This quick outpatient procedure is safe and effective for most patients.
A. Trabeculectomy, still considered the gold standard in glaucoma surgery (commonly performed today with an antimetabolite such as mitomycin-C), remains the most commonly performed glaucoma surgery, with a high success rate in most groups and glaucoma diagnoses, especially in the hands of an experienced surgeon.
A. If glaucoma medicines and laser treatment haven’t helped to treat your glaucoma, your doctor may recommend surgery. Surgery can’t cure glaucoma or undo vision loss, but it can help protect your vision and stop it from getting worse.
A. Glaucoma is harmful to vision because of the damage instilled on the optic nerve. Everything you see, that information is taken to the brain via the optic nerve. Any damage to it compromises the quality and quantity of information your brains gets, thus the loss of vision.
A. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of glaucoma. Other types of glaucoma include: narrow-angle glaucoma, secondary glaucoma, developmental glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma.
A. Glaucoma is detected through a comprehensive eye exam. The optic nerve is critically evaluated along with other risk factors. Additional tests are frequently performed to confirm the suspicion of glaucoma.
A. If you are taking medicines for glaucoma, be sure to take them every day as directed by your eye care professional. People at risk for glaucoma should have a dilated eye exam at least every two years. If you have been diagnosed, you may need to see your eye care professional more often.