Elevated ocular pressure and glaucoma

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a chronic eye condition that is the result of excessively high eye pressure, which damages the optical nerves. Increased eye pressure occurs if the fluid produced in the eye to nourish the cornea and the lens is not able to drain away properly. If the drainage of fluid doesn’t work properly, the pressure in your eye will increase and might damage the optical nerves. There is also ‘normal pressure’ glaucoma, which can also reduce your field of vision. That is why it is very important to have a regular check-up with your ophthalmologist and to have your eye pressure measured every few years after the age of 45.

Symptoms of glaucoma

Chronic glaucoma

Your field of vision gradually reduces.
At a more advanced stage, your visual acuity also decreases.
Blind spots will emerge in your field of vision, often without you even realising it.

Acute glaucoma

Your eyes become painful, red and dull.
Your vision becomes blurred.
You get headaches, dizziness and nausea.

Treatment of glaucoma

It is important to have your eye pressure measured regularly by your eye doctor and to have a check-up of your optical nerves, in order to detect glaucoma early. In the event of symptoms of glaucoma, it is important to take quick action since occurred damage to the nerve cells cannot be repaired. The emphasis of glaucoma treatment is on lowering the eye pressure. This can be done with a laser treatment, eye drops or, in exceptional cases, an eye operation.

The treatment of glaucoma is aimed at keeping the eye pressure low permanently. Glaucoma is unfortunately incurable and damage that has already been caused cannot be repaired. That is why it is important for glaucoma to be diagnosed early, so that it can be treated appropriately. Regular check-ups are therefore important.

What treatments do we offer?

SLT laser treatment

According to the European glaucoma guidelines, ‘Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty’ or SLT treatment is the first choice to treat glaucoma. With this laser treatment, short pulses are used to widen your tear drainage system, so that the fluid can be drained away better and your eye pressure decreases. This laser treatment is painless and usually has to be repeated after a couple of years.

Eye drops

Patients who can’t tolerate lasers or don’t respond well to the laser treatment are treated with eye drops to keep the eye pressure stable. The eye drops are intended to reduce the aqueous humour or improve drainage of fluid. They have to be administered once or twice a day.

Microstent

With this surgical procedure, carried out under local anaesthesia, a new drainage channel is created in order to reduce the eye pressure. The new drainage channel is made with a tiny tube with the size of an eyelash, known as a microstent.

Glaucoma operation (trabeculectomy)

In this procedure, carried out under local anaesthesia with drops, a small opening is made in the white part of the eye, so that fluid can drain away. This will reduce eye pressure considerably.

How much does glaucoma treatment cost?

The cost of this treatment varies and depends on the approach selected and the seriousness of the glaucoma. During the consultation, we will explain the costs of your specific treatment. This treatment is covered by medical insurance.