A Quick Intro to Glaucoma

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is a chronic, progressive eye disease that when left untreated can lead to vision loss and eventual blindness. The goal of all glaucoma treatments is to lower the eye’s intraocular pressure (IOP) to arrest ongoing optic nerve damage and thus prevent the consequential loss of sight.

There are three distinct modalities for the treatment of POAG: medications, laser procedures, and surgical intervention.

• Medications – several different classes of medications are available with varying daily dosing requirements to treat glaucoma. Dr. Arey stays at the forefront by choosing both “tried and true” medications as well as newly FDA-approved eye drops in managing patients with POAG.
• Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) – This minor procedure aims to reduce the intraocular pressure by targeting the tissue in the eye that provides the primary resistance to the outflow of fluid from the eye’s internal chamber. By applying tiny laser bursts to the trabecular meshwork, fluid is able to flow out more freely and pressure on the optic nerve is relieved. This office-based procedure is quick (less than five minutes) with minimal to no discomfort and no post-procedure restrictions. Dr. Arey quotes a success rate in the 80-85% range for reducing the IOP with an SLT procedure.
• Surgical Intervention – Dr. Arey offers his glaucoma patients undergoing cataract surgery a Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) procedure at the time of their cataract surgery. By placing a tiny stent into the trabecular meshwork, the natural resistance pathway can be bypassed, resulting in the lowering of IOP. This is often successful in reducing the need for the ongoing use of glaucoma drops following MIGS.

The great news is that glaucoma, when identified early and treated appropriately, can be managed without the patients experiencing the devastating consequence of vision loss and blindness. Dr. Arey is equipped with the knowledge, technology, and expertise to customize a glaucoma treatment plan for each of his patients diagnosed with POAG. If you have ever been diagnosed with glaucoma, have been labeled a suspect for glaucoma, or have a close family member with glaucoma, the time to act is now. Please consider calling board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Mark Arey and the team at Florida Medical Clinic Eye Specialists to make your new patient appointment today. Sight is a precious gift, and entrusting your sight to him is a responsibility Dr. Arey takes quite seriously.