Our eye is one of the smallest organs but it contains the most number complexities. There are extremely minute parts of this organ that are involved with various unique functions and even the smallest damage can result in huge complications if not looked after well. Glaucoma is one such issue that we need to pay attention to in time.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a term that is used to describe the damage incurred to the optic nerve. The optic nerve is the nerve that carries the signals from our retina to our brain which forms an image for us. Whenever there is any kind of issue, it means that our perception of a particular vision is going to be affected. While glaucoma as a term describes the difficulty in the functioning of the optic nerve, it is an umbrella term that covers several issues that result in the difficulty in functioning of the optic nerve.
What is trabeculectomy surgery?
Trabeculectomy surgery is one of the treatments available for glaucoma. Glaucoma is formed as a result of pressure on your eyes. So trabeculectomy tries to reduce that pressure. It makes an incision pocket that collects the fluid and resultant lesser pressure. Surrounding tissues automatically absorb the liquid and hence you do not have to worry about it.
When is the trabeculectomy procedure performed?
Once it is confirmed that you have glaucoma which needs to be treated with trabeculectomy, an eye specialist in South Mumbai would book an appointment for you if you want your surgery to be performed. They would give you certain guidelines that need to be followed before you come for your surgery. Most people are asked to discontinue any medication that they are taking. To reduce the fluid pressure in the eye, you are also asked to put a stop to applying eye drops. Usually, blood-thinning medication is also discontinued as it would interfere with the conduction of the surgery.
On the day of surgery, mitomycin c is applied to you. This is done so that there is less scarring which leads to draining the eye better. Local anesthesia will be used as well. Additionally, you would be given mild sedatives. Since this surgery is a non-invasive treatment, you are discharged on the day of the surgery itself. It takes less than an hour to perform trabeculectomy.
Once you are done with surgery, you are asked to sit in a waiting room till the anesthesia and sedation wear off. Your eye specialist in South Mumbai would later assess you and send you home. You will be given an eye patch to protect the eye from light. The eye pad should be removed in the coming days but you would have to continue wearing it.
What post-surgery care needs to be taken after trabeculectomy?
You do not need to visit your eye clinic in South Mumbai a few more times after the surgery. Up to a period of 2 to 3 weeks post-surgery, you would be asked to continue wearing the eye patch, at least at night. There are chances of you having a blurry vision initially but it starts improving with time. The sutures will have to be removed post 2 to 3 weeks and hence, you have to visit your ophthalmologist.
Within one and a half months to almost three months, the eye heals completely and the vision is now extremely clear. The vision loss that you incurred during the progression of glaucoma cannot be reversed but you would reach the visual level that you had before the glaucoma operation.
What are the benefits of trabeculectomy?
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Time-efficient
Trabeculectomy surgery is extremely time-efficient. It gets done within an hour. Considering the waiting period before and after surgery, you would have to take out 2 to 3 hours for the surgery. Since this is a quick surgery, it does not need general anesthesia. It can be operated under local anesthesia. When the effects of that wear off, you are good to go home.
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Higher success rate
In the past few years, trabeculectomy has shown a very high success rate in putting a stop to glaucoma progression. Apart from that, there are many other benefits like having a clear vision for your eyes.
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Reduces progression
Although it is not possible to restore the vision that is disrupted because of glaucoma, it is possible to go back to the fusion that you had before the surgery and stop the progression of it right there. Because of this, the chances of sustaining your vision are higher.
Trabeculectomy might be inevitable and in some cases, it needs to be analyzed well along with its risk factors. To explore those risk factors at an eye clinic in South Mumbai, visit Eye Solutions.