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GLAUCOMA: TREATMENT AND LATEST ADVANCEMENTS Dr. Salman Waqar, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Specialist in Adult Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD), shares his insights. Glaucoma treatment has improved considerably over the last five years. Today, there is a wide variety of treatment options available for glaucoma, ranging from eye drops to laser treatments and surgical options. Mild glaucoma can be treated with simple eye drops, used once or twice a day, while moderate glaucoma may require laser treatment, and advanced cases can be eased with minimally invasive surgeries such as trabeculectomy and aqueous shunt device insertion. If the patient suffers an intolerance to eye drops, special laser procedures can be performed to treat glaucoma without the need for long term drops. While these are the standard approaches to cure glaucoma, we find that a tailored treatment that is suitable for the patients’ specific ocular ailments usually yields the best results. Assessment for glaucoma requires a careful and thorough clinical examination followed up by some specific diagnostic tests. These include a precise measurement of the peripheral visual field and a scan of the nerves in the back of the eye. Other tests include a review of the drainage channels of the eyes (known as gonioscopy) and measurement of the thickness of the cornea (known as pachymetry). With all this information at hand, an appropriate treatment plan can be implemented. Recovery from laser treatments is usually very quick allowing patients to get back to routine activity the next day. For surgery, you can get back to routine activity in a fortnight, although the full recovery may vary from between four to six weeks. To speed up the eye healing process and to optimise the chances of a successful outcome eye drops may be required for a few weeks after the procedure. Glaucoma treatment is designed to halt the progression of the condition and to lower the eye pressure to acceptable standards, thereby preventing any further visual damage. This means any damage that may have already occurred before diagnosis and treatment will remain unchanged. If a cataract is present, a combined cataract and glaucoma operation can also be performed which provides the opportunity to improve vision affected by the cataract TODAY, THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF TREATMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR GLAUCOMA, RANGING FROM EYE DROPS TO LASER TREATMENTS AND SURGICAL OPTIONS 26 VISION PLUS SE ASIA EDITION