Glaucoma

The Glaucoma Service at the Moran Eye Center provides specialized diagnostic, medical and surgical care for the glaucoma patient.

Moran Eye Center surgeons and researchers are actively involved in research to improve surgical procedures involving such areas as Glaucous, I-Stent, Solx and more.

How Glaucoma Develops

In the front of the eye is a space called the anterior chamber. A clear fluid flows continuously in and out of the chamber and nourishes nearby tissues. The fluid leaves the chamber at the open angle where the cornea and iris meet (see diagram above). When the fluid reaches the angle, it flows through a spongy meshwork, like a drain, and leaves the eye. Sometimes, when the fluid reaches the angle, it passes too slowly through the meshwork drain. As the fluid builds up, the pressure inside the eye rises to a level that may damage the optic nerve. When the optic nerve is damaged from increased pressure, open-angle glaucoma and vision loss may result.

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, leading to vision loss—or even blindness.

Facts about Glaucoma

• There are two basic types of Glaucoma, open-angle and narrow-angle (or angle-closure) glaucoma.
• Open-angle is the most common form, accounting for 90% of all cases and is associated with aging.
• When a person ages, the eye’s drainage apparatus may not work as effectively as it should.
• In narrow-angle glaucoma, the eye pressure is normal until the drainage angle becomes suddenly blocked. Eye pressure rises abruptly to dangerous levels. Immediate treatment is necessary.
• Increased eye pressure means you are at risk for glaucoma, but does not mean you have the disease.
• Glaucoma can develop without increased eye pressure.

Who is at risk?

Anyone can develop glaucoma. Some people are at higher risk than others. They include:

• African Americans over age 40.
• Everyone over age 60, especially Hispanic Americans.
• People with a family history of glaucoma.

How do you know if you have Glaucoma?

At first, open-angle glaucoma has no symptoms. It causes no pain. Vision stays normal. As glaucoma remains untreated, people may miss objects to the side and out of the corner of their eye.

Doctors

Alan S. Crandall, M.D.
Jason Goldsmith, M.D.
Norman A. Zabriskie, M.D.

Services

Diagnostic testing including:

• Humprey Visual Field
• Goldman Visual Field
• Tanget Screen Perimnetry
• Optical Coherence Tomography
• Scanning Laser Polarimetry (GDx)
• Electrophysiologic Testing

Laser treatment of glaucoma including:

• Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
• Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT)
• YAG Laser Iridoplasty
• Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation (ECP)
• Argon Laser ciliary body ablation
• Diode Laser ciliary body ablation

Surgical treatment of glaucoma including:

• Trabeculectomy with and without antimetabolites
• Non-penetrating glaucoma surgery: Aquaflow and Viscocanalostomy
• Glaucoma implant surgery: Ahmed, Baeveldt, Molteno, and Krupin implants

Medical and Surgical Treatment of Congenital (Pediatric) Glaucoma:

• Goniotomy
• Trabeculotomy
• Glaucoma implant surgery

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