A New Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma treatments are unable to reverse any damage done to the optic nerve. But they can and do reduce the intraocular pressure (IOL) so as to prevent any more nerve damage. Glaucoma increases the IOL because it impairs the balance between two eye functions:

• Production of eye fluids
• Drainage of those fluids

In some cases the fluid is over-produced, and in others the drainage system is blocked to a greater or lesser extent. This new treatment is known as a Canaloplasty and targets part of the drainage system called Schlemm's canal.

Schlemm's canal

This tiny channel runs around the outside of the iris, in the back surface of the cornea. Its function is to collect excess aqueous humor (fluid) from the eye's anterior chamber (front chamber between cornea and lens), and send it into the bloodstream. Blockage of this canal or its little feeder channels is one of the causes of glaucoma.

Canaloplasty Procedure

In a canaloplasty, the eye surgeon threads a microcatheter (flexible tube) into the length of Schlemm's canal, with a light at its tip and a suture attached to the back end. The tube is filled with a viscoelastic gel which helps widen Schlemm's canal as it's distributed. The surgeon withdraws the microcatheter and ties off the suture, applying a little tension to it. Now Schlemm's canal will stay widened and function better for drainage of aqueous humor.

A canaloplasty is done with the use of an ultrasound imaging system, giving the eye surgeon a clear picture of what he is doing. It is an innovative procedure and thought by many to be very promising. It is "non-penetrating", meaning that it does not pierce completely through the cornea. It penetrates only as far as Schlemm's canal, towards the back of the cornea.

A good canaloplasty candidate has the most common type of glaucoma and has not had any previous glaucoma surgeries. Please see our article on Glaucoma Types for more information.

The most common forms of glaucoma do not give any early symptoms. If you are over the age of about 40, you should have your eyes checked for glaucoma at least every year. To find a qualified glaucoma surgeon in your area, please use the links below.