Interventional Glaucoma
Get ahead of glaucoma with treatments that work around the clock, so you don’t have to.
At Eyecare Associates of New Orleans, we believe glaucoma care is ideally built around protecting your vision early, rather than catching up after damage has already been done. Interventional glaucoma is a forward-thinking approach that uses advanced laser treatments, tiny implants, and sustained-release medication to lower eye pressure sooner and keep it steady over time. For many patients across the greater New Orleans area, it also means spending far less time thinking about eye drops.
A New Way of Thinking About Glaucoma Treatment
Traditional glaucoma care has followed a step-by-step pattern for decades.
Patients start with one prescription drop, add a second or third as pressure creeps up, and only consider a procedure once the disease has advanced. That approach has helped many people, and eye drops still have an important role. The difference with interventional glaucoma is timing. Instead of saving procedures for later, our doctors may recommend them earlier, when there is more healthy optic nerve left to protect.
Interventional glaucoma is a treatment philosophy that favors gentle, early procedures and long-lasting medication delivery over relying on drops for life. The goal is consistent pressure control, because steady, well-managed eye pressure gives you the best chance of keeping the vision you have.
With the right plan, interventional glaucoma may help you:
- Cut back on daily glaucoma drops, or in some cases stop using them altogether
- Keep your eye pressure more stable from one day to the next
- Skip the routine of pharmacy runs, refills, and dosing reminders
- Start protecting your optic nerve earlier in the course of the disease
Why Eye Drops Alone Aren’t Always Enough
For most people, glaucoma treatment begins with prescription eye drops, and many patients do well with them. But using drops correctly, every day, for years on end can be harder than it sounds.
Gaps in Treatment Matter: When doses are missed, eye pressure can rise without warning. Glaucoma rarely causes pain or noticeable symptoms early on, so damage to the optic nerve can happen quietly in the background.
Daily Consistency Is Difficult: Drops only work when they’re used exactly as prescribed. Juggling multiple bottles, different dosing times, travel, a hectic schedule, or trouble getting the drop into the eye can all lead to skipped or wasted doses.
Ongoing Expenses: Prescription drops are a recurring cost, and over many years of treatment, the total can become significant.
Side Effects Can Wear on You: Some patients experience burning, redness, irritation, or dry eye from their drops. Long-term use may also cause changes to the eyelids, eyelashes, or the color of the eye.
Drops remain a good fit for many patients. But if they’ve become a burden, aren’t controlling your pressure well, or simply don’t suit your lifestyle, interventional glaucoma treatments may offer a better path forward.
Our Interventional Glaucoma Treatments
Modern Glaucoma Procedures and Implants
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to glaucoma. Your doctor will recommend a treatment, or a combination of treatments, based on the structure of your eyes, the type and stage of your glaucoma, and your personal goals.
Several of the options below are considered Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS). These procedures work with the eye’s natural drainage pathways and typically involve smaller incisions and a faster recovery than traditional glaucoma surgery.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
SLT is a gentle laser treatment that improves how fluid drains out of the eye. The laser targets specific pigmented cells in the trabecular meshwork, the eye’s natural drainage tissue, which triggers a healing response that helps fluid flow more freely and lowers eye pressure. There are no incisions or implants, and because surrounding tissue is left intact, SLT can often be repeated if needed in the future.
Durysta
Durysta is a tiny, biodegradable implant that releases glaucoma medication from inside the eye. Your doctor places it during a quick office visit, and it slowly delivers bimatoprost, a medication that helps lower eye pressure by improving fluid outflow. The implant dissolves on its own over time, and many patients see pressure-lowering benefits for months after treatment.
iDose TR
iDose TR is a small titanium implant placed inside the eye that continuously releases travoprost, a commonly prescribed glaucoma medication. Because the medication is delivered directly where it’s needed, many patients are able to significantly reduce their daily drops, and some no longer need them at all.
iStent
The iStent is one of the smallest medical devices ever approved by the FDA. Once placed in the eye’s drainage system, it creates a permanent opening that allows fluid to bypass blockages and drain more efficiently, helping to lower eye pressure. The iStent is frequently placed during cataract surgery, so patients can address both conditions at once. This procedure can be performed on its own or combined with cataract surgery.
Hydrus Microstent
The Hydrus Microstent is about the size of an eyelash and is placed inside Schlemm’s canal, the eye’s primary drainage channel. Once in place, it gently holds the canal open, allowing fluid to flow more freely through multiple drainage pathways. Clinical research has shown that Hydrus can lower eye pressure and reduce the number of glaucoma medications patients need.
OMNI Surgical System Canaloplasty
The OMNI Surgical System treats multiple points of resistance in the eye’s drainage system during a single procedure performed through one small incision. First, canaloplasty uses a gentle viscoelastic fluid to open up Schlemm’s canal and the channels connected to it. Next, a trabeculotomy opens the trabecular meshwork so fluid can drain more easily. OMNI is designed to restore the eye’s natural outflow and is typically completed in a short amount of time.
Could Interventional Glaucoma Be a Good Fit for You?
Interventional glaucoma treatment may be worth discussing with your doctor if:
- You have mild to moderate glaucoma
- Remembering or applying your drops every day has become a challenge
- Your current glaucoma medication causes irritation or other side effects
- You’d like to reduce or eliminate your reliance on eye drops
- You’re planning to have cataract surgery and want to treat glaucoma at the same time
- You want to take a more active role in protecting your long-term vision
The best way to find out is with a comprehensive glaucoma evaluation at Eyecare Associates. After examining your eyes, your doctor will explain your options in clear, everyday terms and help you choose the treatment plan that best matches your eye health, your lifestyle, and your goals.
Interventional Glaucoma FAQs
How is interventional glaucoma different from traditional glaucoma treatment?
Traditional glaucoma treatment usually adds medications over time and saves procedures for when the disease has progressed. Interventional glaucoma takes a more proactive approach by introducing minimally invasive procedures and sustained-release medications earlier in treatment. The goal is to protect the optic nerve sooner, provide more consistent pressure control, and make treatment easier to live with day to day.
Will I still need eye drops after my procedure?
It depends on the treatment you receive and how your eyes respond. Many patients are able to use fewer drops after treatment, and some no longer need them at all. During your evaluation, your doctor will give you an honest assessment of what results are realistic based on your glaucoma and the treatment you choose.
Are interventional glaucoma procedures safe?
Every procedure carries some level of risk, but the interventional treatments we offer, especially MIGS procedures, were developed to be less invasive than traditional glaucoma surgery. They involve tiny incisions or none at all, work alongside the eye’s natural drainage system, and usually allow for a quicker return to normal activities. Your doctor will review the benefits and risks specific to you before moving forward with treatment.
Can glaucoma treatment be performed at the same time as cataract surgery?
In many cases, yes. Procedures like the iStent, Hydrus Microstent, and OMNI can be performed during cataract surgery, allowing patients to treat both conditions in a single procedure. Your surgeon will evaluate your overall eye health to determine whether a combined approach is right for you.
Protecting Your Vision for the Long Run
Glaucoma is a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t have to control your life. By treating it early and proactively, our doctors can help keep your eye pressure in check, slow the progression of the disease, and create a treatment plan that fits naturally into your daily routine.
Eyecare Associates of New Orleans is proud to offer interventional glaucoma care at our Metairie and Uptown New Orleans offices, as well as at our LaPlace location, Aslett-Kurica Eye Center, serving patients throughout the River Parishes.
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Schedule your appointment at Eyecare Associates of New Orleans in Metairie, LA, today!
