Glaucoma is a silent killer of Vision.
One of the most serious condition of eye and number two reason of blindness all over the world, first being cataract.
The patient may have to lose his previous vision and spark of life because of this.
The most worrisome fact of glaucoma is irreversible loss of vision which mean once vision is lost, it is lost forever.

One may suspect of glaucoma if-
• Sometimes totally symptomless-silent killer of vision
• Age above 40 yrs. though it can be present at birth also
• Family history of glaucoma
• Diabetis/hypertension.
• Halos around light.
Types-

  1. Congenital glaucoma – In newborn babies
  2. Primary glaucoma
    o open angle glaucoma
    o closed angle glaucoma
  3. Secondary glaucoma
    o LIG if cataract not operated on time
    o Trauma to eye
    o Post-Iritis/ uveitis
    o Bleeding in eye due to diabetic or hypertensive retinopathy etc.

Diagnosis-

Slit lamp examination-

  • Dilated fundus and optic nerve examination
  • Gonioscopy- to see angles of eye
    Intraocular pressure (IOP)
    Perimetry- gold standard test to check visual fields
    OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography)- to study optic nerve
    Pachymetry- to measure thickness of cornea

Treatment-

  1. Medical Management
  2. Laser treatment of glaucoma in particular cases of angle closure glaucoma- YAG PI needs to be done – for which we are equipped with Nd YAG -laser machine
  3. Surgical treatment of glaucoma-
    Trabeculectomy,
    Trabeculotomy/goniotomy- for congenital glaucoma
    Phaco +Trab-combined surgery for cataract + glaucoma
    Implant surgery -in refracting cases of glaucoma.