SLT laser surgery to treat glaucoma offered by Dr. George Salib in Laguna Hills

Your eyesight is something you probably don’t think about on a daily basis, but keeping your eyes healthy is of utmost importance for being able to do daily tasks and enjoy life with good vision. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly suffer from the condition of glaucoma, which may go undiagnosed until your vision is irreversibly impaired. With modern technology and advances in science, highly qualified doctors like Dr. George Salib in Laguna Hills, CA can treat glaucoma effectively with medications and surgical treatments such as selective laser trabeculoplasty, or SLT. This laser treatment for glaucoma can reduce your eye pressure by about 20-30% to improve your eye health and halt any damage.

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What is glaucoma and why does it need to be treated?

Glaucoma is a disease that is often silent, or unnoticeable to the people who have it until damage is already done to their eyes. It is a complex disease and in many cases of glaucoma, there is an increased pressure inside your eye that causes damage to the optic nerve. Normal eye pressures span from 12 to 22 mm Hg, and anything above 22 mm Hg is considered high and can potentially cause injury.

When damage to your optic nerve from high ocular pressure occurs, it cannot be reversed, so it is critical that you see your eye doctor for regular check-ups to ensure that your eye pressure is at a healthy level. A simple test done by the doctor can determine your eye pressure. If it is high, the ophthalmologist can recommend the right treatment for you. Medications or surgical treatments may be used alone or together to manage glaucoma and can be highly effective at maintaining your eyesight.

SLT procedure for glaucoma

SLT is a safe, well-established treatment that has been used for over 25 years throughout the United States and the world. It is an outpatient procedure that is done in the ophthalmologist’s office. The goal of the procedure is to reduce the eye pressure associated with open-angle glaucoma.

Since SLT is considered a surgical procedure, it has traditionally been used when medications alone are not reducing your eye pressure enough or have too many side effects. However, the use of SLT before medications has been growing in recent years because it can help you avoid the side effects of eye drops and reduces the need for daily compliance with a medication regimen, so the end results are similar or sometimes better for SLT than for medications. SLT can also cost less in the long-term than medications.

When you go to the office for the SLT procedure, you will be asked to complete the necessary paperwork to complete the surgery. Then, an experienced staff member at the Orange County Eye Institute will apply topical medications before the procedure begins that will decrease your pupil size, reduce your eye pressure, and numb the area that will be treated.

Then, you will be positioned at a machine that looks similar to the one the ophthalmologist uses to examine your eyes. The doctor will position a special contact lens in your eye and will then use a laser attached to the machine to precisely target cells in your eye’s drainage system that will result in better eye pressure.

The procedure only takes a few minutes and you can resume your normal activities with no restrictions. For the first few hours, your vision may be slightly blurry and you may be sensitive to light or feel an aching sensation. A topical anti-inflammatory medication can be used to expedite your recovery.

Determining if you are a good candidate for SLT

If you have primary or secondary open-angle glaucoma, you may be a good candidate for SLT. Your ophthalmologist is the best person to determine whether SLT is the right choice for you or if other treatments are a better option.

Dr. George Salib spends ample time with his patients to accurately diagnose their condition and then determine the best treatment plan based on the patient’s medical needs, budget, and individual preferences. Dr. Salib is a nationally recognized expert in ophthalmology and has advanced training in surgical techniques to treat eye conditions.

If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma or are in need of an annual eye exam to ensure the health of your eyes, call the Orange County Eye Institute in Laguna Hills, CA at (949) 441-5444 to schedule your appointment today!