Glaucoma Procedures

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, a cluster of a million small nerve fibers. These nerve fibers relay visual information from the back of the eye to the brain. Glaucoma is often caused by very high eye pressure, but genetics and other issues can play a role in its development. Some people with glaucoma may even have normal eye pressure. The groups at greatest risk for the disease are anyone over 60 (over 40 if you’re Black), those with diabetes, and people with a family history of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a top cause of blindness in older adults.

How Much Does Glaucoma Treatment Cost?

The cost of glaucoma treatment depends on several factors, including the type of treatment you choose. You can see some general procedure costs on our Estimated Procedures Cost page, but we’ll provide you with a personalized treatment plan and good faith estimate.

How Is Glaucoma Treated?

Although there is currently no cure for glaucoma, there are several effective treatment options to slow or halt progression of this disease.

• Medication, usually in the form of eye drops, can help relieve pressure within the eye.
• Recent advances in laser surgery make it possible to improve the underlying condition that contributes to elevation of pressure within the eye. Open-angle glaucoma can be treated with ALT (Argon Laser Trabelculoplasty), and a peripheral iridotomy procedure can be performed to treat closed-angle glaucoma.
• Most of the time, the efficiency of the drainage canals can be improved by treatment with medicated eye drops and/or laser therapy. However, if these treatments are not effective, the most common surgical option, trabeculectomy, can be performed to alter the eye’s drainage system.

Two innovative approaches to treating glaucoma have become available relatively recently, the ExPRESS mini shunt, and—for those who have both cataract and glaucoma—the iStent®.

• iStent® iStent is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA, and is placed in the eye during cataract surgery. It is so small, you won’t be able to see or feel it after surgery, but it works continuously to help reduce eye pressure by improving outflow of fluid from the eyes. After implantation, many patients are able to control their eye pressure. In a U.S. clinical trial, iStent patients who achieved a target pressure of < 21 were more likely not to need their medications than patients with cataract surgery only.
• ExPRESS® glaucoma filtration device. This device, which is inserted beneath the sclera (the white surface of the eye) shunts aqueous fluid into a reservoir and gives greater control of outflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I go blind if I have glaucoma that isn’t treated?

Untreated glaucoma will eventually lead to vision impairment and blindness, but early diagnosis and treatment can help stop some of the disease’s progression.

At what age does glaucoma usually develop?

Glaucoma is most common in people over 60. However, people younger than 60 can develop it, especially if they have a family history of glaucoma or diabetes.

What’s the main cause of glaucoma?

One of the most common causes of glaucoma is high eye pressure, but several other conditions such as the limited flow of blood to the optic nerve can also cause the disease.

Is there any way to prevent glaucoma naturally?

Some of the best ways to prevent eye damage and vision impairment, in general, are to eat healthfully (especially foods rich with vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids), exercise moderately, protect your eyes from injury, and get regular eye exams. If you have a family history of the disease or another risk factor, you may not be able to prevent the disease entirely, but you may be able to catch and treat it early.

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