Glaucoma

[youngee]

Hello. I'm a son who is asking a question for his mother because I can't imagine not being able to see well for a long period of time.

My mother has glaucoma and it was getting pretty painful in one of her eyes. At this point, she has been taking eye drops to relieve this pressure, but it was getting progressively more painful. At this eye institute, her doctor recommended getting a surgery in one of her eyes to relieve the pressure, or something to that effect.

Supposedly, after the surgery her eye was supposed to get better with time; it didn't. In fact, her eyesight in her other eye started getting worse. The doctor then ordered a test to see how much light pass through the one eye that was operated on, I believe, but my mother requested the technician do the same with both. She had loss some sight in both eyes. He prescribed another eyedrop medication that irritated her eyes and then suggested getting the same surgery performed on her other eye. He also recommended a new type of laser surgery that was supposed to change the pressure to a more favorable level. It really seems like he has no idea what he the problem is, that his train of thought is, "I really hope this fixes it."

She then saw another doctor for a second opinion who told her to stop medication on the operated eye while still recommending the other doctor who seems to be reaching for solutions.

My questions are what did the surgery do to make things worse? Is there a definitive solution to this problem? Is there a solution that will restore her sight or at least make it better? Can someone recommend a reliable effective clinic or doctor in the Oklahoma area that is not *** related? What other actions we can take?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[youngee]

Thanks for that.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I am talking generalities here not about your mother case specifically. Most glaucoma operations are not done to make the eye see better but to keep it from going blind thus after the surgery you do not expect the eye to see better.

If the first operation lowered the pressure to an acceptable level and is keeping the eye from going blind that's what to be expected.

Suggest you discuss with the Eye MDs that take care of your mother and when you get another consultation.

JCH MD

[youngee]

Thank you for a reply, Doctor Hagan. I will definitely go to the website and seek more advice and information.

I just have one more question if you or someone doesn't mind answering. If the first surgery to make one of my mothers eyes better, not necessarily in terms of sight, and it didn't work well then what would be the benefit of doing the same surgery on the other eye?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You need to have a better understanding of glaucoma. In spite of many wonderful new eye drop medications for glaucoma, in spite of several new types of laser and in spite of un-precedentedly well trained ophthalmlologists glaucoma remains one of the most common world causes of poor vision and blindness.

In very severe cases glaucoma surgery is sometimes done. This is high risk surgery that is not meant to improve the vision but to try and prevent the eye from going blind. It sounds as if your mother is in the worse 1-2% of glaucoma cases and ultra difficult to try and stop the progression of the glaucoma.

If you would feel better you can get a third opinion from an Eye MD ophthalmologist that specializes in glaucoma. You can find one near you at www.aao.org

You and any brothers and sisters are at higher risk of getting glaucoma as you get older. Be sure you see an ophthalmologist Eye MD yearly and be sure you give your mothers severe glaucoma history.

JCH MD