iStent Procedure for Glaucoma & Cataract Treatment
If you have glaucoma and cataracts, your eye surgeon may recommend the iStent procedure to treat both conditions at once. The iStent is a tiny device that is implanted during cataract surgery and that helps to decrease pressure in your eye, by restoring outflow of fluid from your eye.
If you and your ophthalmologist decide iStent is right for you, on the day of surgery, a staff member at the Ambulatory Surgery Center will welcome and help you prepare for your surgery by putting eye drops in your eye. You will be given a gown to wear over your street clothes during your actual surgery.
You will be given a relaxing sedative along with local anesthetic. An injection will also be given around the eye to prevent movement. During the surgery, you will feel little or no discomfort.
Immediately after the surgery, the surgeon will place a patch over your eye, and you will rest in a comfortable reclining chair. Your family members may then join you in reviewing your follow-up care and schedule. You will be given medication or eyedrops to prevent infection.
You will need to wear the patch for 24 hours and use special eyedrops for a period of time to prevent infection. These drops are different from the eyedrops you normally use to control your glaucoma. The doctor will monitor your condition the morning after your surgery, and continue to do so on a regular basis thereafter.
While cataracts can be removed and replaced with an intraocular lens, glaucoma cannot be cured. By controlling your eye pressure through surgical intervention, further damage to your optic nerve can be prevented. For this reason, following surgery, you must continue to be monitored by your doctor on a regular basis. You must also use any medications exactly as they are prescribed to obtain the maximum benefits.
If you have glaucoma and cataracts, your eye surgeon may recommend the iStent procedure to treat both conditions at once. The iStent is a tiny device that is implanted during cataract surgery and that helps to decrease pressure in your eye, by restoring outflow of fluid from your eye.
If you and your ophthalmologist decide iStent is right for you, on the day of surgery, a staff member at the Ambulatory Surgery Center will welcome and help you prepare for your surgery by putting eye drops in your eye. You will be given a gown to wear over your street clothes during your actual surgery.
You will be given a relaxing sedative along with local anesthetic. An injection will also be given around the eye to prevent movement. During the surgery, you will feel little or no discomfort.
Immediately after the surgery, the surgeon will place a patch over your eye, and you will rest in a comfortable reclining chair. Your family members may then join you in reviewing your follow-up care and schedule. You will be given medication or eyedrops to prevent infection.
You will need to wear the patch for 24 hours and use special eyedrops for a period of time to prevent infection. These drops are different from the eyedrops you normally use to control your glaucoma. The doctor will monitor your condition the morning after your surgery, and continue to do so on a regular basis thereafter.
While cataracts can be removed and replaced with an intraocular lens, glaucoma cannot be cured. By controlling your eye pressure through surgical intervention, further damage to your optic nerve can be prevented. For this reason, following surgery, you must continue to be monitored by your doctor on a regular basis. You must also use any medications exactly as they are prescribed to obtain the maximum benefits.
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