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New Procedure Reduces Risk In Glaucoma Surgery
Number Of Americans Afflicted Expected To Double
POSTED: 2:57 p.m. PST December 23, 2002
UPDATED: 2:58 p.m. PST December 23, 2002
CHICAGO -- More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, Dr. Deanna Lites reported, and that number is expected to double as baby boomers age.
Glaucoma is sometimes called a "silent blinder" because the loss of vision happens so gradually. Medications help most patients, but when they don't work, there's a last-chance surgery that's being performed in Chicago that can spare patients from a life of darkness, Lites said.
Eleanor Fredriksen (pictured, left) has glaucoma and cannot use the medications that commonly treat it.
"I became allergic to every single eye drop available," Fredriksen said.
As a result, the fluid in Fredriksen's eyes was building up and causing damage to her optic nerve.
"Glaucoma surgery was the last resort," Fredriksen said. "Otherwise, the next step would be blindness."
Traditional surgery drains away the excess fluid, but the incision goes through the sclera, the white part of the eye, all the way into the eyeball. The potential complications can be devastating, according to Dr. Thomas John (pictured, left) , an eye surgeon.
"The front part of the eye can collapse," John said.
John used a new approach to treat Fredriksen, one that greatly reduced the risk of serious complications, Lites said. Instead of cutting all the way into the eyeball, John made an incision that was only about half the thickness of a dime.
First he made a tiny flap in the sclera, then sewed a tiny tube of collagen into the space. The tube is called an acquaflow; eventually, it dissolves, but the space around it remains open. That lets the fluid out and lowers the pressure inside the eye, John said. Patients recover faster and usually don't need eye drops anymore.
"The number of medications is brought down to almost zero -- occasionally, maybe one," John said. "But that's a big benefit for most of these patients."
Fredriksen's other eye was treated the same way several months ago, so now she has had the procedure on both eyes. She said she knows how close she came to losing her vision in both eyes.
"Not good," Fredricksen said. "Sight is very precious."
For more information on the procedure that Fredriksen had, call Dr. Thomas John at (708) 429-0222.
Glaucoma is sometimes called a "silent blinder" because the loss of vision happens so gradually. Medications help most patients, but when they don't work, there's a last-chance surgery that's being performed in Chicago that can spare patients from a life of darkness, Lites said.
Eleanor Fredriksen (pictured, left) has glaucoma and cannot use the medications that commonly treat it.
"I became allergic to every single eye drop available," Fredriksen said.
As a result, the fluid in Fredriksen's eyes was building up and causing damage to her optic nerve.
"Glaucoma surgery was the last resort," Fredriksen said. "Otherwise, the next step would be blindness."
Traditional surgery drains away the excess fluid, but the incision goes through the sclera, the white part of the eye, all the way into the eyeball. The potential complications can be devastating, according to Dr. Thomas John (pictured, left) , an eye surgeon.
"The front part of the eye can collapse," John said.
John used a new approach to treat Fredriksen, one that greatly reduced the risk of serious complications, Lites said. Instead of cutting all the way into the eyeball, John made an incision that was only about half the thickness of a dime.
First he made a tiny flap in the sclera, then sewed a tiny tube of collagen into the space. The tube is called an acquaflow; eventually, it dissolves, but the space around it remains open. That lets the fluid out and lowers the pressure inside the eye, John said. Patients recover faster and usually don't need eye drops anymore.
"The number of medications is brought down to almost zero -- occasionally, maybe one," John said. "But that's a big benefit for most of these patients."
Fredriksen's other eye was treated the same way several months ago, so now she has had the procedure on both eyes. She said she knows how close she came to losing her vision in both eyes.
"Not good," Fredricksen said. "Sight is very precious."
For more information on the procedure that Fredriksen had, call Dr. Thomas John at (708) 429-0222.
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