Pioneering new glaucoma treatment could eliminate the need for surgery –

A new glaucoma treatment has been introduced in the UK that promises to control the debilitating condition of the eye for years without many of the adverse effects of surgery.

The innovative method involves placing a small strip of sponge in the corner of the eye to drain the excess fluid causing the condition.

Around 700,000 people in the UK suffer from glaucoma, which is caused by damage to the optic nerve due to the pressure created by the trapped fluid. It is not yet possible to recover lost sight.

Doctors have a number of treatments to prevent it from getting worse, although each has its drawbacks.

Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the condition leading to progressive peripheral vision loss, are usually initially given eye drops.

If not, laser surgery is used to widen the natural channels that drain fluid from the eye. However, the benefits of laser surgery may diminish or diminish over time as most patients opt for traditional surgery. This often involves opening the drains further and creating an artificial reservoir for excess moisture.

However, recovery may take more than a month, and some patients may experience debilitating side effects such as dry, lumpy eyes.

The new method involves implanting a 5mm high-density sponge strip that is less than a millimeter thick, called MINIject. It collects excess eye fluid and empties it into a natural chamber called the supraciliary space, where it is absorbed by the body.

Chrys Dimitriou, consultant eye surgeon at Colchester Eye Centre, recently implanted MINIject devices in eight NHS patients and was the first to receive them.

He said it works with the natural structure of the eye. Some patients are able to swim even a week after implantation.’

Around 700,000 people in the UK suffer from glaucoma, which causes damage to the optic nerve due to the pressure created by the trapped fluid (archive photo)

Recent research data show that the procedure has a long-lasting effect and intraocular pressure is on average less than a third lower two years after implantation of the sponge. Additionally, there were no signs of damage to the back of the cornea, a problem seen with previous implants of this type.

Mr. Dimitriou said MINIject can also be used in patients whose glaucoma is not controlled by conventional surgery, thus keeping hope of better vision longer.

The sponge was designed by iSTAR Medical, a Belgian company specializing in “minimally invasive glaucoma surgery”.