The surgery in case of glaucoma basically consists of lowering the intraocular pressure and stabilizing it so that it does not present oscillations.
This is done thanks to the opening of a new way for the exit of aqueous humor, a colorless substance that is in the anterior chamber of the eye, and whose main function is to oxygenate and nourish areas of the eyeball that have no blood supply.
What Precautions Are Recommended After Glaucoma Surgery?
There are a few tips for the postoperative surgery of glaucoma. Patients should follow a series of basic recommendations:
Only 20 or 30 days after the surgery we can know if this has been a success or not or if, on the contrary, it has not yielded the expected results, since it is the estimated time for wound healing.
The risk of closure of the fistula that communicates the intraocular space with the subconjunctival space will always exist, both in the days after the operation and long after it. Therefore, it is very advisable to visit our ophthalmologist regularly to know if the intraocular pressure is at the appropriate values in each case.
Infection and bleeding are the main risks after glaucoma surgery. Both depend to a large extent on the capacity of our tissues to renew themselves and allow a full and optimal recovery.
The specialist will be responsible basically to assess the state of the fistula, the evolution of the scar and the general appearance of the eye area. When appropriate, perform maneuvers that increase or decrease healing and mitigate the effects of the postoperative phase of the operation.
Despite the important technological advances of recent decades, there is still no glaucoma surgery technique that guarantees optimal results. This will depend on the type of glaucoma and the state of the eyeball of each patient. It also influenced by the experience of the specialist who performs the surgery and, of course, the type of technique used during the operation.
- Today there are several glaucoma surgery techniques whose objective is to reduce the intraocular pressure through the opening of a kind of aqueous humor drain.
- Among the most prominent are canalostomy or canaloplasty, deep non-penetrating scleroctomy, trabeculectomy and drainage implants, which can be performed with or without valvulated systems.
- In order to achieve a less traumatic postoperative process, in many of these techniques patients are given anti-healing substances. The purpose of these is to limit the ability of the eye to seal the fistula that has been opened during the operation.
- Since a couple of years ago, a series of techniques, called MIGS, are under study. They perform the same operation to filter the aqueous humor but less aggressively and, therefore, generate fewer complications in the postoperative period.
Recovery Time
It is recommended that patients, for at least a week after surgery, try to avoid contact with water in the eye. It is possible to carry out most of the daily activities. However, it is important to avoid driving, reading, reclining and lifting heavy objects.
There may have been changes in visual quality, such as blurred vision, for approximately six weeks after surgery.
The eye will look red and irritated immediately after surgery, and it is possible to tear it. The inner fluid of the eye flows through the hole created in the surgery and forms a small protrusion similar to a blister called a filter blister. The filtering blister, usually on the upper surface of the eye, is covered by the floor and is not usually visible.
After surgery, you may need to change your contact lenses or glasses. You could use soft contact lenses or permeable gas. However, it is possible that the filter blister will cause problems when placed, and special care should be taken to avoid infecting the filter blister.
Conclusion
This stage is usually tedious and uncomfortable for the vast majority of patients, as wound healing is different in each case and, therefore, the care must be personalized and taking into account the history of each person.
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