Therapeutic Glaucoma

The traditional treatment for primary angle-closure (PAC) and PAC glaucoma (PACG) is laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) to facilitate aqueous outflow followed by medical treatment with drops to decrease the intraocular pressure (IOP).

Sunita Radhakrishnan, MD, in a presentation at the 25th annual Glaucoma Symposium at the Glaucoma 360 virtual annual event, noted that concomitant treatment of both glaucoma and dry eye is key.

Goniotomy-viscodilation cataract surgery controls IOP without medications.

Innovation, change has dominated the glaucoma specialty over the years.

Programs use detection and treatment to ease burden of eye disease.

Sustained release helps mitigate disease progression without impacting quality of life.

Evidence-based medicine can lead to personalized care, better results for patients

Options can reduce the treatment burden for patients, leading to improved outcomes

Investigators note the need for less medication over 12-month period

ICYMI: Ramin Valian, vice president of International Glaucoma, Reimbursement and Pipeline at Allergan, discusses glaucoma from a therapeutics/diagnostics and big data sets standpoint during the 2020 Glaucoma 360 meeting.

Besides traditional medications, here are some of the many novel approaches to treat patients with glaucoma

Research is seeking benefits, options for open-angle glaucoma patients

Treatment options may expand beyond surgery, medication, and lasers

Yvonne Buys, MD, says ophthalmologists can choose from a range of the latest devices for measuring IOP, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. While new technology continues to emerge, Dr. Buys provides an overview of tonometer technology.

As more microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedures become available, surgeons are faced with decisions on adoption of new techniques.

In a small study, a combination over-the-counter supplement with antioxidant and mitoprotective properties significantly reversed mitochondrial dysfunction.

Jonathan S. Myers, MD, reports that intraocular drug delivery systems could help solve the problem of poor adherence in patients taking glaucoma medications. Implanted in the eye, the systems would allow for glaucoma drugs to gradually dissolve or elute medication.