When you get diagnosed with glaucoma, it can be a very scary time for you. You are going to need to undergo a surgery in order to reduce the amount of pressure that is currently in your eye in order to prevent permanent damage to your eye. There are a few different treatment options that you have available to you. Talk to your doctor about these treatment options before committing to any single option. 

1. Laser Surgery

One surgical option that you can consider is to use laser surgery to alter the drainage system in your eye in order to ensure that the fluid is able to drain more regularly. The laser surgery can be done without knocking you out. It just requires you to sit still for around fifteen minutes. After the surgery has been performed, the fluid in your eye will drain slightly more quickly. You will likely still need to use eye drops or some other form of liquid suppression in order to ensure that you do not have to undergo the procedure again. This procedure is painless.

2. Eye Stent Surgery

An eye stent is a type of glaucoma treatment surgery (performed by those such as Country Hills Eye Center) in which a tiny tube is placed in the eye that is having a hard time draining adequately. The stent, or the tube, is inserted into the eye and diverts all of the excess fluid that the eye currently has into the veins around the eye where it can be carried away. This will allow your eye to avoid experiencing excessive amounts of pressure. This is a slightly more invasive surgery than laser surgery because it involves making a tiny incision in the eye. If you have any problems with your veins around your eyes, this surgery is not right for you.

In many cases, you will not have to take pills or drops to further reduce the pressure of your eye.

3. Trabeculectomy

Finally, you have the option of a trabeculectomy. This type of surgery involves the surgeon cutting a flap of skin in your eye. This flap is large enough to reduce the amount of liquid and therefore the amount of pressure in your eye but not large enough that your eye deflates. This allows you to consistently drain the liquid from your eye. This is a much more invasive surgery and has a longer recovery period, but is fairly effective.

For more information, talk to your doctor. He or she will be able to help you make a treatment decision.