Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, affecting millions of individuals in America. This condition develops once normal fluid drainage from the eye is affected or blocked, heightening intraocular pressure. Glaucoma treatments generally start with using eyedrops or lasers to reduce eye pressure, but these are not always effective. Besides, traditional surgeries bear the risk of complications.
In recent years, technological advancements have made minimally invasive glaucoma surgery possible. Rapid City minimally invasive glaucoma surgery uses microscopic equipment and tiny cuts to relieve intraocular pressure. Here are the many benefits of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
Reduced Risk of Complications
Traditional surgery risks complications such as bleeding, infection, and damage to the surrounding tissue. As such, one of the primary advantages of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is the reduced likelihood of complications compared to conventional glaucoma surgery.
The procedure is generally less invasive and entails using tinier cuts and specialized equipment to access your eye’s drainage system. Besides, MIGS comes in handy for patients who are not eligible for traditional glaucoma surgery because of general health, age, or other health concerns.
Shorter Recovery Time
MIGS procedures are less intrusive than conventional glaucoma surgery; thus, they generally require less downtime. While patients might report experiencing some discomfort, it is not as serious as you should expect with traditional surgeries. Based on your specific MIGS procedure, you can resume working, exercising, and other routine activities within days or weeks of your surgery.
Minimal Scarring
MIGS is generally performed via very tiny incisions. For this reason, the cuts heal fast and might not even need sutures. Therefore, you are likely to experience less scarring compared to conventional glaucoma surgery, which often involves huge cuts that might lead to more noticeable scars. If you are self-conscious about your appearance and do not want noticeable scarring around your eye, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery can help.
Can Be Performed together With Cataract Surgery
Another advantage of MIGS is that it can be performed in conjunction with cataract surgery. Cataracts are a prevalent concern that frequently develops in older adults and could cause cloudy vision. Cataract surgery eliminates the cloudy lens and replaces it with a clear artificial lens.
Considering that glaucoma is also prevalent in elderly persons, most patients who require cataract surgery might also have glaucoma. By conducting MIGS during cataract surgery, both issues could be treated simultaneously, saving patients the time and need for additional procedures.
Reduces Reliance on Glaucoma Medications
Glaucoma is a chronic issue that requires continuous treatment to avoid further damage to the optic nerve. In most cases, patients must constantly use eye drops, which could be inconvenient, costly, and have adverse effects. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery reduces the over-reliance on glaucoma medications by effectively reducing intraocular pressure.
Glaucoma is one of the most possibly serious eye conditions. Left untreated, this condition can cause irreparable damage to your optic nerve, resulting in permanent blindness. Unfortunately, glaucoma does not have obvious symptoms in its early stages. The condition has already advanced by the time you begin noticing warning signs of an eye issue.
Therefore, it is important to consider regular eye exams if you have one or more risk factors for glaucoma. Your eye doctor will assess your unique concerns to determine if you are the right candidate for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
