Glaucoma causes pressure to build up in your eyes, which leads to symptoms such as decreased vision. There is no cure for it, but your doctor can use medications to help ease the symptoms. If those fails, one of the following surgeries could be recommended.

Laser Surgery

Depending on the severity of your symptoms and the type of glaucoma you have, laser surgery might be an option. Laser surgery is used to treat open-angle glaucoma. During the procedure, drainage canals in your eyes are opened. This allows fluids to drain more easily. 

With laser surgery, there is a possibility that pressure will build up in your eyes again. Following the surgery, your doctor will check your eyes several times. It could takes weeks before the full impact of the surgery is realized. 

IStent

Advances in glaucoma treatment has led to the development of the iStent procedure. The procedure is best for glaucoma that is mild to moderate. The tiny stent is placed inside the eye during surgery. It is often used in combination with medication in some patients. Others might not need to use medication at all following the surgery. 

This procedure is not commonly used for people with more advanced glaucoma. Researchers have found that it is not as effective at alleviating eye pressure at this stage. Once the implant is completed, you should not feel or see it. 

Filtering Surgery

Another common surgical procedure for glaucoma is filtering surgery. In this procedure, an opening is created in the white part of your eye and a small section of tissue is removed from the bottom of your cornea. As a result of this procedure, fluids will have a canal from which to drain from your eyes, which helps to lower eye pressure. 

This surgical procedure is only performed on one eye at a time. The doctor will wait a few weeks before operating on the other eye. If the opening that is created heals, your doctor might have to perform the surgery again or opt for a different treatment. 

Since infection is a possibility with this procedure, it is important that you complete the antibiotics that your doctor prescribes after the surgery. You will also need to take anti-inflammatory eye drops, which help to keep scarring from occurring. 

There are also other surgical procedures are available for glaucoma and most of them are outpatient procedures. You might have to undergo other procedures or use a combination of treatments to keep the eye pressure down in your eyes. One company to contact for more information is Country Hills Eye Center.