The doctors at The Eye Center offer an innovative new procedure available to control the progression of glaucoma.

Columbia, S.C., Oct. 15, 2020 – Glaucoma is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness, and it is estimated that over 75 million people worldwide suffer from this disease. Up until recently, glaucoma could only be treated with eye drops and complex surgery. Now, technology has advanced to allow a new option for glaucoma treatment in Columbia.

Any patient undergoing cataract surgery at a Columbia, SC eye clinic, and taking at least one medication to lower eye pressure, may be a candidate for a new implant called iStent.

The iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent reduces eye pressure and can be implanted during cataract surgery performed by an ophthalmologist in Columbia, SC. The doctors at The Eye Center, P.A. say this method allows for “Treatment of your open-angle glaucoma in a completely new way.”

iStent works similarly to stents used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. “When blood vessels get clogged, a stent creates access to the vessel flow,” an ophthalmologist in Columbia, SC explains. With glaucoma, the Eye Center says, “Over time the eye’s natural drainage system becomes clogged. iStent creates a permanent opening through the blockage to improve the eye’s natural outflow & spares the eye tissue often damaged in traditional surgeries.”

The procedure involves the insertion of two small stents into the eye to lower pressure. iStent is the smallest medical device to date approved by the FDA, and this revolutionary procedure is now a viable option for glaucoma treatment in Columbia, SC.

The Eye Center is a Columbia, SC eye clinic with ophthalmologists trained to perform this procedure. iStent is available now, and any patient currently taking medications to control glaucoma should seriously consider it.

The Eye Center explains, “If you forget to take your eye drops or ‘skip a dose,’ this can cause large changes in your eye pressure. Large changes in eye pressure can increase the risk of vision loss.” Many patients were able to stop using their prescription eye drops entirely after having iStent inserted. It dramatically mitigates the risk of vision loss due to glaucoma, and patients who suffer from both cataracts and glaucoma can now solve both issues with one procedure.

About The Eye Center:

The Eye Center is the leading refractive practice in South Carolina, providing full service eye care and specializing in Refractive Surgery – Lasik, AST, PRK, PRELEX, as well as Corneal Transplant and Cataract Surgery.