Lowering Intraocular Pressure Through Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty
Glaucoma medications often have side effects, and they can be burdensome and expensive for patients to take over a long period of time. Surgery may be a promising alternative for some. A current surgical procedure, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), is sometimes recommended as the primary treatment when a patient is first diagnosed with glaucoma, adjunctive treatment to medications, or end-stage treatment to avoid more extensive surgery in a patient who is already on multiple medications.
Lawrence F. Jindra, MD,a glaucoma specialist in private practice in New York and assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University's Edward F. Harkness Eye Institute, conducted a retrospective chart review of patients in his practice. Dr. Jindra found that SLT was effective in decreasing intraocular pressure (IOP) with a low incidence of complications. In some cases, a second SLT procedure was performed because target IOP was not reached with the first treatment. In both primary and repeat treatments, SLT reduced IOP by approximately 35 percent. Dr. Jindra concludes that further study in randomized clinical trials is needed, but he believes that SLT should be used in most cases as the primary treatment for glaucoma.
Click here for the complete article on this subject in the Novermber 2004 issue of Ophthalmology Management.
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