Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Acute angle glaucoma occurs in one in 1,000 individuals. Angle-closure glaucoma generally expresses itself in populations born with a narrow angle. Individuals of Asian and Eskimo ancestry appear to be at greater risk of developing it. Family history,...
as well as age, are risk factors. Older women are more often affected than are others. Laser iridotomy is performed on the same groups of individuals as those likely to experience angle closures due to pupillary block or plateau iris. They are performed more often on females (whose eyes are smaller than those of males), and more often performed on the smaller eyes of farsighted people than on those of the nearsighted because angle closures occur more frequently in those who are farsighted. Most laser iridotomies are performed on those over age 40 with a family history of plateau iris or narrow angles. However, preventative plateau iris laser iridotomies are performed on patients in their 30s. Individuals who are aphakic (have no intraocular lens) are at greater risk of angle closure and undergo laser iridotomy more frequently than phakic patients. Phakic patients are those who either have an intact lens or who are psuedophakic (have had a lens implant after the removal of a cataract removal).
Advertisement
Any object that we see is a collection of light energy focused on the retina. The lens of the eye helps us see near and far things equally well. This animation describes how the lens of the eye changes to accommodate and focus light.
Normally intraocular fluid flows freely between the anterior and posterior sections of the eye (A). As pressure builds in the eye, this circulation is cut off (B). In laser iridotomy, a special lens is placed on the eye (C). A laser is used to create a hole in part of the iris (D), allowing fluid to flow more normally and intraocular pressure to return to normal (E). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
Search
Other Information
Laser iridotomy is a surgical procedure that is performed on the eye to treat angle closure glaucoma, a condition of increased pressure in the front chamber (anterior chamber) that is caused by sudden (acute) or slowly progressive (chronic) blockage of the normal circulation of fluid within the eye. The block occurs at the angle of the anterior chamber that is formed by the junction of the cornea with the iris. All one needs to do to see this angle is to look at a person's eye from the side. Angle closure of the eye occurs when the trabecular meshwork, the drainage site for ocular fluid, is blocked by the iris. Laser iridotomy was first used to treat angle closures in 1956. During this procedure, a hole is made in the iris of the eye, changing its configuration. When this occurs, the iris moves away from the trabecular meshwork, and proper drainage of the intraocular fluid is enabled.
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
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.