is a glaucoma op always necessary

[Sparr0w-hawk]

After a brief consultation in September I was scheduled for a glaucoma/ cataract op. Apparently I have both open and close angle. My eye pressure is 19, in April it was 17. Doc says people with normal eye pressure can develop glaucoma and there's a history of family members getting it. I'm seriously short sighted since my teens. And am now have some vision loss from advanced cataracts.

They proposed a stent as the angle of my eye in parts is narrow though I'm considered open angle.

I have never been on drops and the stent is to remove the necessity of drops.

I'm terrified as I heal badly from anything and avoid all kinds of medication as I have strong side effects.

They say I can swim as the stent is in the eye. Wouldn't bacteria from swimming pools get it once that's done?

Does anyone have a similar condition and can offer some advice?

[KieranGlaucomaUK Administrator]

Hi. Combined cataract/stent surgery is quite common and there are some people on this forum who might be able to give you some further information and reassurance about this. There is a post on this topic from a couple of days ago which you should have a read of. The cataract surgery can help the narrow angles, but as you have open angle glaucoma the stent can help to increase the drainage of the fluid and can further reduce the eye pressure. The surgery itself is minimally invasive and can be done in around 20-30 minutes.

[Sparr0w-hawk in reply to KieranGlaucomaUK]

Thank you. It's helpful. I also got normal tension glaucoma which I read can cause blindness. Can I postpone op till Feb next year? In April I got all clear so it's a bit of a shock.

[KieranGlaucomaUK Administrator in reply to Sparr0w-hawk]

No problem. Any type of glaucoma can cause sight loss, not just normal tension glaucoma. Normal tension glaucoma can be harder to diagnose and go undetected for longer which can lead to sight loss sooner - so that might explain what you read. Be careful with reading online. It will be up to your consultant whether it is safe to postpone your op and this isn't something I would be able to tell you. I wouldn't personally postpone the op if you are going to have it done anyway, as the sooner it's done the better.

[Sparr0w-hawk in reply to KieranGlaucomaUK]

Thanks, he said don't wait too long. I have been reading long scientific papers too. Quite insightful as they refer to real cases. I wonder if there are people who live with glaucoma without treatment and dont get worse. I'd love to hear from them.

Just read about the negative impact of eye fluid pressure on the optic nerve. Would lifestyle changes such as keeping active and positive help? After all internal pressure is a root cause.

[Goatiegoat in reply to Sparr0w-hawk]

I would be guided by your consultant. I have suffered from glaucoma for over 40 years and have been treated by multiple drops and have had several surgeries including a shunt. I would not consider doing nothing as your optic nerve is endangered by glaucoma and damage is irreversible. I don’t believe that lifestyle changes and a positive outlook can have a direct impact on glaucoma but of course they can be helpful in many other ways. If you are concerned about side effects from eye drops, you should discuss having preservative free ones. There are, nowadays, many different drops to try so if one causes adverse reactions another may not.

[Sparr0w-hawk in reply to Goatiegoat]

Thank you for your advice and experience. I have never had drops and wonder why the consultant did not propose before scheduling a laser and stent.

[PeterRabbit62]

I have primary open angle Glaucoma in both of eyes and last June I have a cataract removal with a glaucoma operation called a GTT, and still have to use 3 different drops 2 twice a day after it, I was also using these 3 different drops before the operation it was only my left eye that have the operation, my right one just had a straight forward cataract surgery. Mine was 8 weeks recovery and 8 weeks without driving, I wish you all the best for yours