A Filtration Surgery to Lower IOP and Slow Loss of Vision

The most common surgical way to treat glaucoma is with a Trabeculectomy, a surgical procedure that relieves pressure by creating an outflow of the fluid from inside to outside of the eye. In Trabeculectomy, a small flap is made in the outer white coating of your eye. A reservoir, called a bleb, is created. The bleb looks like a bump or blister on the white part of the eye above the iris, but the upper eyelid usually covers it. The fluid (aqueous humor) can now drain through the flap made in the sclera and collect in the bleb, where the fluid will be absorbed into blood vessels around the eye.

IOP is effectively controlled in three out of four people who have Trabeculectomy. If the new drainage channel closes or too much fluid begins to drain from the eye, additional surgery may be needed.

Glaucoma Surgical Options