Laser treatment for raised eye pressure (Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension)
This is a treatment with the primary aim of lowering the pressure in your eye. Laser is applied to the meshwork where the fluid drains from the eye in order to allow more fluid to leave the eye and lower the pressure.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommend this advanced laser treatment as a potential first line therapy for patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
If you have high eye pressures this laser may allow you to avoid the use of eye drops or if you are already on drops you may be able to reduce/stop them.
It is applied at a slit lamp in the outpatients clinic and takes approximately 10 minutes.
There is an 80% success rate in the early stages, but this does reduce to 60% success over 2 years. Sometimes it needs repeating.
It is a very safe treatment to have done but it can cause some inflammation or a transient pressure rise.