Mayo Clinic Announces New Procedure To Treat Glaucoma: New Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma – New Treatment Announced by The Mayo Clinic

Glaucoma is the number one cause of blindness in the United States. It is an eye disease that is the result of too much pressure building up in the eye and is called a “silent” disease because in many cases, Glaucoma can go unnoticed. It is important to be checked for glaucoma and here are the guidelines outlining the recommended schedule for glaucoma checks.

1. Before the age of 40 – you should be checked every two to four years
2. From the ages of 40-54, checks should be done every one to three years
3. Those ages 55-64 should have their eyes checked for glaucoma every one to two years
4. If you are 65 years or older, your eyes should be examined every six to twelve months to check for glaucoma

If you are diagnosed with glaucoma that is mild you may be treated with eyedrops. For cases that are more advanced, an eye surgeon may use a laser device to help the eye’s drainage system work more efficiently so as not to have a build up of pressure that is indicative of glaucoma, or the surgeon may reconstruct a system for drainage in the eye of the glaucoma patient.

A new treatment procedure, named the Trabectome, is available for Florida and Minnesota patients of The Mayo Clinic. The Trabectome is used to make a tiny incision in the cornea of the patient’s eye and then the surgeon can open a drainage area in the eye. The new procedure is stated to be safer than the regular type of glaucoma surgeries, and more efficient and effective than using eye drops alone.