How is SLT performed?
SLT is performed in the eye clinic and typically takes no longer than five minutes for each eye to do. It is performed using a specialized slit lamp with a small contact lens on the eye following instillation of topical local anaesthetic. In about 7 out of 10 people eye pressure is improved following SLT.
How many times can SLT be repeated?
SLT must be repeated every two years. While SLT is a repeatable procedure,4,5 studies have shown a treatment effect lasting as long as five years,17 and I have had some patients who are well-controlled 10 years after SLT.
When is SLT performed?
Patients who are good candidates for SLT include patients with ocular hypertension, primary open-angle glaucoma or pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Patients I recommend avoiding include those with very uncontrolled IOP; patients with very low target IOPs; and those who have had prior filtering surgery.
Can SLT be performed after Alt?
SLT may be a useful adjunctive therapy when 360 degrees of ALT has already been performed.
What is peripheral iridotomy?
Laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) is the preferred procedure for treating angle-closure glaucoma caused by relative or absolute pupillary block. LPI eliminates pupillary block by allowing the aqueous to pass directly from the posterior chamber into the anterior chamber, bypassing the pupil.
Does SLT hurt?
You will then hear a series of clicks and may see flashes of light as the laser treats your eye. There is virtually no pain with the procedure. You will feel the lens slowly rotating on the surface of the eye as the doctor treats various parts of the trabecular meshwork. The procedure generally takes 5-10 minutes.
Can SLT improve vision?
SLT is a form of laser treatment for the eye used to help glaucoma. It is different from LASIK treatment in that it is not used to improve vision or to reduce the need for glasses. It can, however, help save eye sight which might otherwise be lost.
What is advantage of SLT over Alt?
It has the benefit of using 80–100 times less energy than ALT, preserving the trabecular meshwork architecture in animal models, and being potentially repeatable. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) selectively targets melanin in trabecular meshwork cells.
What are the risks of laser trabeculoplasty (Lt)?
Studies support the use of laser before medications.
What is the best laser eye surgery?
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
How is laser trabeculoplasty done?
– First, you will receive an eye drop called apraclonidine, which helps prevent a rise in the eye pressure after the procedure. – Your doctor will place a special lens on your eye to help focus the laser on the trabecular meshwork. – You will then hear a series of clicks and may see flashes of light as the laser treats your eye.
Does laser trabeculoplasty prevent steroid glaucoma?
SLT is used to lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma, but it is not know whether the choice of eyedrops administered in the post-operative period affects SLT efficacy. Practitioners commonly use steroid drops, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drops, or no drops at all.