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Why I regard Glaucoma a surgical condition rather than medical
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Published: | April 5, 2013 |
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It is widely accepted that glaucoma is the second highest cause of blindness after Diabetes in the world today. In the developing world the problem is further complicated by a higher incidence and an earlier onset of the disease in all it’s variations. Extensive evaluation of thousands of cases over the last 26 years have led me to believe that the solution to this condition is a surgical rather than a medical one.
Normalizing physiological aqueous outflow by restoring the normal anatomy of Schlemms Canal, the Trabecular Meshwork and Collector Channels is the goal of surgery in managing all of the glaucoma’s. Fastidious surgical technique and sustained follow up of more than 20 years has shown extremely gratifying results with regard to complete turnaround of optic nerve damage in cases operated early enough especially in the Congenital Glaucomas. In cases subjected to many years of medical therapy and advanced optic nerve damage the turnaround is not as dramatic but halting of further nerve cupping and stabilization is achieved through all of the glaucomas where IOP is stabilized by surgery as early as possible.