Low eye pressure

[Ella59]

I have Normal Tension Glaucoma and had a Deep Scleretomy operation on my right eye 18 months ago ( I believe this is a similar operation to a trab, the aim being to lower the pressure) and I have a bleb under my eyelid. Immediately after surgery the pressure dropped to 3 but gradually over eight months increased to 6, although the macula wasn’t flat and causing distorted vision I became used to it and the consultant was happy not to do an adjustment.

Six months later and the pressure has dropped to 4, my original consultant has now left and the present consultant is putting me under pressure to have a bleb adjustment. My problem isn’t the operation but my husband has cancer and is quite sick at the moment and I am his sole carer and after the problems I had after the original operation I don’t really want this adjustment

My consultant has said it may not work or improve things and the longer the adjustment from the original operation the less likely the success . I’d be interested to hear of people’s experiences living with low eye pressure, I am hoping that the pressure will start to rise by itself but she is being really sarcastic about the whole situation to the point where I dread going to an appointment.

[NewSh0e]

You poor thing, the new consultant sounds severely lacking in bedside manner! I have NTG and have encountered a similar attitude from my NHS consultant; thankfully I also see someone privately who is kind and patient with all my questions I wonder, if it’s possible, can you seek another opinion?

[Ella59 in reply to NewSh0e]

Thanks for your reply. I am beginning to wonder myself if I would be better going to a private consultant. I got on really well with my last consultant and she was very understanding of the situation at home. I think I will see what happens at my appointment next week and take it from there.

[NewSh0e in reply to Ella59]

That sounds like a sensible course of action. For me, what I’m buying from my consultant, first and foremost, is his time and “customer service”; but I recognise that even going private isn’t a guarantee!

[Littletreasures]

I had similar. A trab last year and my pressure dropped to 4. Stitches were suggested but I was reluctant to have anything else done. After 9 months the pressure has increased to 5. My vision in that eye is blurry but I manage reasonably ok as the vision in my other eye is quite good. I have decided to just leave it now and I’m hoping the pressure will slowly increase over time. It worried me a lot but over the 9 months I’ve come to terms with it.

[Ella59 in reply to Littletreasures]

Thanks for your reply. I am in the same situation, I can manage now because of the vision in my other eye but the eye I had the operation on was previously my better eye but is now the worst. I had so many problems after the operation that I am reluctant for anything else to be done.

[pjhl]

So sorry to hear that . I had a trab 7 months ago . The pressure dropped to below 4 and has not risen since . My consultant who is private answers all my questions patiently , describes possible adjustment procedures as " hazardous " and discourages me from having them . I have taken his advice . The low pressure means that my vision has deteriorated which is tedious but I can live with it and want to get on with my life . Also he has advised that from a glaucoma perspective the trab is a success but that over a period of several years trabs sometimes fail slowly so that at some future point the pressure may possibly start to rise maybe to the point when a further trab would then be required .

[Ella59 in reply to pjhl]

Many thanks for your reply. My main concern is that I’ll see no improvement and my vision could be worse if I went ahead with an adjustment, together with the fact that my husband is quite sick at the moment and I honestly don’t think I could cope with it just now. I think I shall wait for the time being and see what happens.

[GlaucomaMe]

The pressure in both my eyes is 4, it has been two. I’ve had trabs in both eyes two and three years ago. My eyesight is not as good as it was, but I am developing cataracts which is confounding the problem. My consultant reckons that my eyes are soft and that affects my ability to focus. But he is f the opinion that the low pressure is the best way to preserve my vision long term. So, compromising my current vision so that I hope to maintain useful vision into my old age. I have lost a significant amount of visual field, but it does seem to have stabilised after the trabs.

But be aware that everyone’s eyes are different. I have always had very low pressures, at the lower end of the normal range. Probably my nerve is used to dealing with lower pressures. They regularly scan my eye to check that my nerve is coping with the low pressure.

You also have a lot to deal with at home. Is your GP sympathetic? Could you talk to them and ask if a second opinion would be possible or even a different consultant? I have changed consultant/hospital and found the second to be very, very much better.

[Ella59 in reply to GlaucomaMe]

Many thanks for your reply which I found really helpful. Yes, my consultant said my eyes are soft also, she showed me the scan of the macula which should be flat but looks like a road with speed bumps on it. I have got used to the distorted the vision though and manage quite well.

I think for the time being I shall wait and hopefully the pressure will increase, I honestly don’t think I could cope with an operation at the moment with my husband being so sick as I had a lot of problems post operation last time.

[frankthebank]

Hi, Sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time. I had Trab surgery about a year and half ago, afterwards my pressure was 0-2, the surgeon was hoping the pressure would increase but it didn't and after about 6 weeks I had corrective surgery which was far more routine and with less recovery than the initial operation, now my pressure sits at 7, which works well for me. Unfortunately though the high pressure pre opp and low after did a lot of damage, so I do have a lot of vision loss. This kind of surgery requires a lot of guess work as to the size of the bleb and to need corrective surgery is quite common. My advice to you would be that you have come far having the initial surgery, so if you can manage, the corrective surgery is far more likely to go well and recovery is not as difficult, after which your pressure should remain good for along time to come and you won't do more damage to your eye with the low pressure. I wish all the best to you and your husband.

[Ella59 in reply to frankthebank]

Thanks for your reply and good wishes. Gosh, your pressure was very low after the original operation, it’s good to hear that the adjustment isn’t as complex. I have got a lot of useful information from people on this site so when I go to see the consultant next week I will feel better prepared.