Trab waiting list and a few questions about Trab and NTG

[charles555]

I posted a month ago about the turn round of my diagnosis from a new doctor. I just had another exam and consultation with two more doctors.

They are unanimous about the necessity of a trab, and very quickly. -otherwise, blindness, they spelled out. The doctor said my optic nerves are thin and in bad shape. I presume doctors can easily see the nerves themselves with light in my eyes?

I am on the waiting list now. I was only told I would be notified, but what is the typical waiting list? Could it be as quick as a few weeks? Is there a preliminary meeting or something?

Another question is : how many of glaucoma patients, especially NTG ones, end up having a Trab? On a side note, could a patient whose medication IS working and conditions stabilised still request an operation -on NHS- ?

In my case, three experts couldn't be wrong, so the op it must be - ''every operation comes with a risk'' they did say- but still I wonder why my first doctor was so optimistic about my prospect six months ago.

My Latanoprost and Brinzolamide are not working, at all, let's face it. He must have been projecting a much better medication results. I get that. But the new doctors are more alarmed by the state my eye are in, rather than the lack of improvement. Why was the first doc so encouraging and said ''Don't worry, with NTG, you won't go blind''? It leads me to speculate each doctor have different opinion, to some degree.

[Sufitzy]

Hi So sorry you are going through this . Can’t imagine how worrying it it. Hope the op date come through soon .

Sx

[Hidden]

I can only offer my current experiences. Ocular hypertension 5 years. Can only tolerate brimonidine eye drops which have little effect.Scans of the optic nerves show I am on the cusp of danger in the right eye, less so in the left. Had laser surgery last summer which was not effective.....waited 5 months for that and had to complain as I had been told it was urgent.

Having trabeculectomy and cataract removal in 10 days time. This follows re-trials of drugs I had already said I could not tolerate..... they give me asthma. I have had to wait 4 months for this.... again supposed to be urgent. I have a pre-op assessment 3 days before booked in and a follow-up a week later. I'm crossing my fingers and everything else!

Some of the reason for this all getting out of the control had to be down to the pandemic which effectively meant I had no follow up in the eye clinic for nearly 18 months.

Hopefully they know what they are doing although most of the doctors seem to be on 1 year secondments from somewhere else getting in surgical practice (I know they have to practice but somehow I'd rather it wasn't on me and my precious eyesight)!

[Anonoms in reply to Hidden]

Urgent was six weeks pre covid and similar afterwards but referral with serious problem was three-months post covid.

[floki7]

I had 6 week wait for a Trab, but wish I hadn't had it, as i have been left with blurred vision. but don't let that put you off, I am in the minority , good luck

[charles555 in reply to floki7]

thanks. I googled and it says the success percent is btw 60-80 %. which i think is rather low. and the doc said, ''the chance of surgery goes wrong and you end up blind is about 1/1000, so it;s low'' Which is, come to think, the kind of odds Camelot the Lotto operator would give you a tenner for beating it and more than a thousand people win it each day. I thought of this and half laughed and half scared.

[ffranny]

So sorry your optic nerves are in such a bad way. I do wonder why optic nerves die off when the eye pressure is normal. I wonder if it is some bigger neurological issue? I have the same by the way. I get tingling in my hands sometimes, often when stressed. they say its likely carpal tunnel but I am not so sure… no one knows and treatments are not perfect. I preferred hospitals when I saw the actual consultant whose name I am attached to, now it is anyone who is there, all young inexperienced types reporting back to the boss and lots gets lost in conveying information from person to person, we used to play the game Chinese whispers..anyway it seems the best bet is to get the op. Is there a better success rate if done privately though likely to be the same surgeon?