Other Surgical Interventions
Ocular surgeries, are surgeries performed on the eye or its adnexa, typically by a trained and certified ophthalmologist. The eye is a very fragile organ, and requires extreme care before, during, and after a surgical procedure to minimize or prevent further damage. An expert eye surgeon is responsible for selecting the appropriate surgical procedure for the patient, and for taking the necessary safety precautions. Mentions of eye surgery can be found in several ancient texts dating back as early as 1800 BC, with cataract treatment starting in the fifth century BC. Today it continues to be a widely practiced type of surgery, having developed various techniques for treating eye problems.
The cornea is the transparent/clear part, at the front of the eye, that actually covers the iris, the pupil, and the anterior chamber. The cornea, in tandem with the clear crystalline lens, helps to bend light rays entering into your eyes, thus, enabling you to see clearly.
Corneal Cross-Linking
Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea bulge or protrude forward due to an abnormal thinning/weakening of the corneal architecture. As the bulge progresses, due to the thinning, vision is greatly compromised. Corneal Cross Linking is out patient procedure that helps to strengthen the weakened cornea. The procedure involves eye drops (riboflavin or Vitamin B12), and then by controlled exposure of ultraviolet lights.
Pterygium Surgery
A pterygium is a pinkish/yellowish, triangular tissue growth on the cornea of the eye. It usually begins on the white part of the eye, close to the nose, and is termed a pinguecula. Once it grows onto the cornea, it’s then termed pterygium. Once the pterygium grows enough to distort vision, then surgical interventions are required.
Corneal Transplantation
Corneal grafting or transplantation, is a surgical procedure where the diseased corneal structure are replaced with donor tissues. Penetrating keratoplasty is termed when the entire cornea is replaced. Lamellar keratoplasty, on the other hand, is termed when only part of the cornea are replaced.
Oculoplastics are a sub-specialty, focused on the reconstruction of the eye and its associated structures.
Ptosis Repair
Ptosis refers to the drooping of the upper eyelids. If the drooping because severe, and can cause a reduction in visual field, then surgical intervention are warranted.
Entropion Repair
Entropion is where the eyelid (usually the lower lid) folds inward. This can be quite uncomfortable and even painful, since the eyelashes continuously rub against the cornea, leading to repeated irritation.
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty (Greek: blepharon, “eyelid” + plassein “to form”) is the surgical intervention to correct for defects, deformities, and/or damages of the eyelids.
Entropion Repair
Entropion is where the eyelid (usually the lower lid) folds inward. This can be quite uncomfortable and even painful, since the eyelashes continuously rub against the cornea, leading to repeated irritation.
Strabismus surgery targets and loosens the extra-ocular muscles to correct for an eye turn or the misalignment of an eye.
Glaucoma is a group of progressive diseases that slowly destroys the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss. Usually, it’s characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). In glaucoma care, there’s no treatment at this time. Rather, the goal is to lower the IOP, to alleviate the pressure/strain onto the optic nerve.
Canaloplasty
Canaloplasty is a somewhat new procedure, to enhance the eye’s drainage system, to provide a sustained, reduction of IOP. During this procedure, microcatheter are utilized in a simple and minimally invasive way.
Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT)
A laser is utilized to clear up the pigmented particles that can “clogs” up the drainage system of the eye. The procedure is usually performed on half of the eye first, to determine efficacy. ALT works in about 75% of people with glaucoma.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
When and if ALT does not perform as expected, SLT are utilized. SLT uses a beams of highly targeted low-level laser, and can be used multiple times.
Trabeculectomy
The surgeon will make a small cut in the white part of your eye to take out some of the mesh of tissue inside. This helps the extra fluid drain out. You may need to take some medicine along with this surgery so scar tissue doesn’t form.
Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI)
LPI uses a laser beam to create a tiny hole in the iris, the color part of the eye. This tiny hole acts as an escape valve, to help facilitate the build up of pressure in the eye.
Vitreo-retinal surgery includes, but not limited to, the following:
Macular Hole Repairs
A vitrectomy is the most common treatment for a macular hole: the entire vitreous gel is removed in order to stop it from pulling on the retina. Once that’s accomplished, the vitreous is replaced with a mixture of air and gas.
Retinal Detachment Repairs
Retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the layer underneath. Some symptoms of a retinal detachemnt includes: floaters, flashes of light, and/or a curtain over part of the field of vision.
