Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
Fifteen years after a goniotomy, one in seven patients will have such serious complications as corneal decompensation or detachment of the retina. Vision loss occurs in 50% of children with congenital glaucoma in spite of surgical and medical intervention....
This is particularly true of infants diagnosed with glaucoma before two months of age. About 50% of children who undergo goniotomy require a repeat procedure. Complications are more common for patients treated as young infants and as older children.
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Other Information
Goniotomy is a surgical procedure in which the doctor uses a lens called a goniolens to see the structures of the front part of the eye (anterior chamber). An opening is made in the trabecular meshwork, the group of tiny canals located in the drainage angle, where fluid leaves the eye. The new opening provides a way for fluid to flow out of the eye. Goniotomy is a surgery for children only.
Goniotomy is used to treat congenital glaucoma if the clear covering (cornea) over the iris, the colored part of the eye, is not cloudy.
Other Information
Surgeons aim for results of 20/20 or better so that you can perform most daily activities without your glasses. However, there is a possibility that after surgery, you may need to wear reading glasses or corrective lenses for at least some activities.
-Eye Surgery Education Council
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