Glaucoma and LASIK FAQ
Please select your question from the following list of FAQs:
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a condition in which the pressure in the eye is too high. The elevated eye pressure can lead to optic nerve injury and visual field loss. Glaucoma can be controlled with medications or laser therapy (this laser therapy uses a completely different laser and works on a different part of the eye. If medications of laser can not control the eye pressure, then glaucoma surgery can be performed.
Can LASIK be performed on a person with glaucoma
LASIK can be safely performed on a patient with very mild glaucoma. However, if a person has visual field damage or optic nerve damage from glaucoma, a careful discussion with one's doctor must be undertaken to determine whether LASIK would be safe. The issue is that with LASIK, the eye pressure is elevated for a short period of time - but it is unclear whether this elevation in pressure would damage the optic nerve in a patioent with glaucoma.
Are there any alternative laser surgeries for people who want LASIK but have glaucoma?
An alternative procedure to LASIK is PRK. PRK is a procedure that was developed prior to LASIK. The excimer laser is focused on the cornea, and reshapes the entire corneal surface. Since the eye pressure is not raised, this procedure may be safer for some patients with glaucoma. The exciting news about PRK is that it is still an excellent procdure. Its main drawbacks are the post-operative discomfort after LASIK, as well as the risk of corneal haze. The long-term (one to three year) results of PRK are often similar to the results of LASIK. Again, the main drawback is the post-operative discomfort and the 3-4 day delay in visual recovery.
Are there any other issues to be aware of with LASIK and glaucoma?
The final caveat is that after LASIK or PRK, the eye pressure readings can be falsely lower by 1-3 points. Your eye doctor should therefore always be made aware if a person had had previous laser laser vision correction.