Glaucoma Surgery

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage your optic nerve, causing vision loss and potential blindness. Glaucoma surgery is a treatment method to lower the pressure inside your eye, which decreases pain and prevents further loss of sight.

If medications and laser therapies haven’t improved your glaucoma symptoms, surgery may be the proper treatment for you. The North Florida Eye Center team uses minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) techniques to minimize tissue damage.

There are three categories for MIGS, depending on how they decrease pressure in your eye. This pressure could be reduced by improving your eye’s natural drainage system, known as the trabecular meshwork, decreasing fluid production or redirecting excess fluid outside your eye.

Glaucoma can interfere with your quality of life, causing headaches, eye pain, blurred vision, nausea, or vomiting, and can ultimately result in blindness. If you suffer from these symptoms of glaucoma, you could benefit from glaucoma surgery.

Though glaucoma surgery can’t reverse the effects of glaucoma, it can prevent worsening symptoms. Your provider at North Florida Eye Center analyzes your eye anatomy, the type of glaucoma, and your medical history to address your needs and determine if glaucoma surgery is right for you.

When you come into North Florida Eye Center for your glaucoma surgery consultation, the team explains the procedure to you, ensuring you feel prepared for surgery.

Typically your provider uses local anesthesia to numb you for the procedure. Depending on the type of MIGS you receive, they may make a small incision to remove tissue that blocks the flow of fluid in your eye or insert a catheter within the drainage canal to allow for direct outflow of fluid.

Once your provider completes the procedure, they give you prescribed eye drops to help prevent swelling and infections. You may also receive an eye patch to protect your eye.

You should plan to have someone drive you home after your procedure and avoid strenuous physical activity for 2-4 weeks. Make sure to regularly visit your provider to confirm that your eye is healing well.