New Technology to Treat Glaucoma: The iStent®

Standing as the second most common cause of blindness, glaucoma currently affects 2.2 million Americans according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. William Segal reminds his patients that every age group is at risk for glaucoma, including young adults and even infants. In an effort to treat patients suffering from glaucoma, Georgia Eye Physicians and Surgeons, P.C.,  has incorporated the FDA-approved iStent® Trabecular Micro-Bypass medical device which is safely implanted during cataract surgery.

eye doctor in atlanta gaThe iStent® is the first micro invasive glaucoma surgery method that improves your eye’s natural fluid outflow and is designed to lower and control the pressure within your eye. The iStent® works like stents used to prevent strokes and heart attacks – when blood vessels are clogged, a stent creates access to the vessel flow. Once implanted, iStent® begins working to manage your eye pressure. The iStent® is 20,000 times smaller than the intraocular lens (IOL) and you won’t be able to see or feel it after your cataract surgery is over. In a United States Clinical Study, 68 percent of patients who received the iStent® have remained medication free for 12 months.

If you’re suffering from mild to moderate glaucoma, it is important to seek proper treatment; if not treated properly, the pressure in your eye could increase causing damage to your optic nerve, which is the area of the eye that communicates the images we see to the brain. When your eye begins to accumulate too much fluid, you can begin to see a loss of vision.

To learn more or to schedule your test for glaucoma or learn more about the iStent®, please contact us. For more on the latest news in vision and eye care, be sure to connect with us on FacebookTwitter, and Google+.