Advanced
Glaucoma Surgery
in Hyderabad

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve prematurely. The condition is often caused by high pressure in the eye due to excess fluid build-up. The condition is one of the most common markers of blindness, leaving over 7.5 million people blind worldwide.

Often termed as the “sneak thief of sight,” the symptoms of this disease are next to negligible. The eye condition affects vision, gradually resulting in poor eyesight and complete blindness before the patient even realizes it.

What causes Glaucoma?

Our eyes produce a fluid inside called aqueous humor, responsible for maintaining nourishment and hydration of the eyes. While the fluid is naturally drained out through the canal located at the angle of the eye, in patients with glaucoma, there is irregular and non-uniform drainage of the fluid, leading to excess fluid pressure in the eyes. This extra pressure is termed intraocular pressure (IOP).

The raised IOP in the eyes imposes direct damage to the optic nerve, inhibiting the sensations carried to the retina. Not just the optic nerve, the raised IOP also damages the optic disc. However, there are instances in which patients with glaucoma have had normal IOP levels, so fluid pressure can’t be the only measurement marker for the disease.

Types of Glaucoma

There are predominantly three different types of glaucoma, including:

• Open angle glaucoma - In this type, the constant resistance to the outflow of the canal in the eyes leads to a raised fluid pressure that directly affects the optic nerves. The patient affected with this type of glaucoma often loses their peripheral vision first, followed by their central or tunnel vision.
• Angle closure glaucoma - This condition is caused due to the relative block to the free flow of the fluid in the eyes.
• Developmental glaucoma - The last type is associated with developmental anomalies witnessed in children during or after their birth. It is further divided into two types – congenital glaucoma and juvenile glaucoma.