Glaucoma is the damage caused to your eye nerve (optic nerve) by increase in the eye pressure (intraocular pressure). There are eyedrops that are available to control this raised intraocular pressure. Controlling the eye pressure is essential to stop the optic nerve from getting damaged further in a patient of glaucoma. In case eye drops or laser therapy fails in lowering the eye pressure, your ophthalmologist may recommend a surgery to control the eye pressure.
Trabeculectomy is a surgical operation which lowers the intraocular pressure inside the eye (IOP) in patients with glaucoma. This is done by making a small opening in the outer eye wall (sclera), covered by a thin trap-door in the sclera. The fluid inside the eye known as aqueous humour, drains through the trap-door to a small reservoir or bleb just under the eye surface, hidden by the eyelid. By draining aqueous humour the trabeculectomy operation reduces the pressure on the optic nerve and prevents or slows further damage and further loss of vision in glaucoma. Control of the eye pressure with the surgery will not restore vision already lost because of glaucoma.
What to expect after the surgery?
Patients are usually discharged home from hospital either the same day as the surgery or the day after the surgery.
Please note; all patients need to be examined one day after surgery so a further visit to the hospital the following day is required.
The eye is closed with an eye pad after surgery and the pad is removed the following day.
Initially the eye is red and swollen to a variable degree after surgery.
This usually resolves over a period of few weeks.
The drainage bleb is not usually visible to the naked eye after the trabeculectomy operation.
