Modern Glaucoma Treatments – Beyond Eye Drops
Interventional glaucoma care focuses on lowering eye pressure with in-office lasers and minimally invasive procedures. In most cases, our first-line treatment is selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), with additional minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) options available when appropriate.
First-Line Treatment: Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
What it is: SLT is a gentle, in-office laser that targets the eye’s natural drainage tissue to improve outflow and lower intraocular pressure.
Why we recommend it first: SLT is drop-sparing, repeatable, and has a strong safety profile. Many patients reduce or even eliminate daily pressure-lowering drops after SLT.
- Procedure time: About 5–10 minutes per eye
- Anesthesia: Numbing eye drops only
- Recovery: Most patients resume normal activities the same day
- Onset: Pressure reduction typically within days to weeks
- Durability: Effect often lasts years and can be repeated if needed
Who is a candidate?
Patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension who want a low-maintenance, medication-sparing option are often good candidates for SLT.
What to expect
You will be seated at a laser microscope similar to a routine exam. After numbing drops, the laser is applied through a special contact lens. Vision may be slightly blurry for a few hours. Follow-up pressure checks are scheduled to confirm your response.
Watch SLT in Action
See how SLT works and what to expect during treatment:
Other Interventional Options (MIGS)
When additional pressure lowering is needed, or when combined with cataract surgery, we offer several minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS). These procedures create or enhance fluid pathways through tiny incisions, aiming for consistent pressure control with a faster recovery than traditional surgeries.
- Tiny support stents that help the eye’s drain stay open so fluid leaves more easily. (For example, iStent or Hydrus.)
- A small internal trim of the blocked filter tissue to ease outflow. (Also called goniotomy or trabeculotomy, using tools like KDB or Trabectome.)
- Gentle widening and flushing of the main drainage channel to restore smoother flow. (Canaloplasty or viscodilation, for example OMNI.)
- A very small surface shunt for eyes that need a bigger pressure drop, routing fluid to a safe reservoir under the eyelid.
Your surgeon will tailor the approach to your diagnosis, target pressure, and whether cataract surgery is planned.
Next Step: Your Evaluation
If you have glaucoma or elevated eye pressure, SLT may be a safe and effective first step. We look forward to seeing you at your upcoming visit. If you don’t yet have one scheduled, give us a call today to book your evaluation.
