Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by increased intraocular pressure. As the condition progresses, irreversible changes occur in the retina, leading to optic nerve dysfunction.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide (after cataracts). The disease often manifests after the age of 60, although congenital and juvenile forms also exist.

Depending on the mechanism of increased intraocular pressure, glaucoma is classified into:

• Angle-closure glaucoma
• Open-angle glaucoma (the most common form, accounting for up to 90% of cases)

Symptoms indicating the need for diagnosis and treatment

In its early stages, glaucoma is often asymptomatic. Patients usually seek medical attention only when noticeable symptoms appear.

Symptoms of open-angle glaucoma:

• Decreased vision in low-light conditions
• Headaches
• Floating black spots (“flies”) in the field of vision
• Rainbow-colored halos around lights
• Blurred vision
• Pressure sensation in the eyebrow area

Symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma:

• Discomfort when moving the eyes
• Rainbow-colored halos around lights
• Acute attacks may include sudden severe eye pain, eye redness, nausea, and a hardened eyeball

Diagnostic and treatment

Diagnostic

To diagnose glaucoma, ophthalmologists at leading clinics perform a series of examinations, including:

• Standard and daily tonometry (to measure intraocular pressure)
• Elastotonometry (assessment of intraocular fluid pressure)
• Electronic tonography (evaluation of ocular hydrodynamics)
• Gonioscopy or eye ultrasound (assessment of the anterior chamber angle)
• Ophthalmoscopy (evaluation of the optic nerve condition)

In complex clinical cases, advanced diagnostic equipment is used, including laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Treatment

The primary goal of glaucoma treatment is to normalize intraocular pressure, which, in some cases, can be managed with medication. If pressure stabilization cannot be achieved through drug therapy, surgical interventions such as lens replacement or laser treatment are performed.

Innovations in global clinics

An innovative alternative to conventional glaucoma surgery is the Trabectome procedure, a minimally invasive micro-surgical technique developed in the U.S. to balance intraocular pressure. Trabectome can significantly slow the progression of glaucoma or even lead to full recovery.