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Schedule an appointment Interventional Glaucoma
Interventional Glaucoma
Earlier, proactive glaucoma care designed to protect your vision and lighten your daily drop routine.
Depending on your treatment plan, interventional glaucoma may offer:
- Fewer daily eye drops, or in some cases none at all
- Steadier eye pressure from one day to the next
- Less time spent remembering, refilling, and paying for prescriptions
- Protection for the optic nerve that starts earlier in the disease
What Is Interventional Glaucoma?
Traditionally, glaucoma patients start with one prescription drop, add a second or third as the years go by, and consider surgery only after the disease has moved forward. Eye drops still play an important role, and many patients do well with them. What has changed is that other tools are now available earlier, and we can use them sooner.
Interventional glaucoma is a philosophy of care rather than one specific procedure. It brings laser treatment, sustained-release medication, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) into the conversation earlier, before vision loss has a chance to build. Keeping intraocular pressure low and consistent over time is one of the most reliable ways to slow glaucoma and protect your sight.
Because glaucoma damage can’t be reversed, timing matters. Acting sooner helps preserve the vision you have today.
What a Lifetime of Drops Really Asks of You
For most patients, prescription eye drops are the first step in glaucoma treatment, and they can be very effective. The challenge is that drops only work when they’re used exactly as prescribed, every day, often for decades.
- Daily Routines Are Hard to Keep: Busy schedules, multiple bottles, travel, and simple forgetfulness all lead to missed doses.
- Getting the Drop In Isn't Always Easy: Arthritis, tremors, or poor vision can make it hard to squeeze the bottle or aim it correctly. A drop that misses the eye can't do its job.
- Side Effects Wear on You: Redness, burning, stinging, and dryness are common complaints. Over time, some drops can also darken the iris or change the skin and lashes around the eyes.
- Missed Doses Carry Real Risk: Glaucoma rarely causes symptoms early on. When pressure climbs between doses, damage to the optic nerve can continue without any warning.
Interventional glaucoma gives you and your doctor more ways to control pressure without relying on drops alone.
Interventional Glaucoma at Eye Center of St. Augustine
Treatment Options
The Eye Center of St. Augustine offers a full range of interventional glaucoma treatments. The right choice depends on your type and stage of glaucoma, the anatomy of your eye, whether you need cataract surgery, and what matters most to you day to day. Many patients benefit from a combination of treatments over time.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
SLT uses quick, low-energy laser pulses to stimulate the trabecular meshwork, the eye’s main drainage tissue. This helps fluid flow out more easily and lowers eye pressure without any incision or implant.
iDose TR
iDose TR is a tiny titanium implant that releases travoprost, a proven glaucoma medication, continuously from inside the eye. Your surgeon places it through a very small opening in a quick procedure. Once in place, it works around the clock to lower pressure, which can reduce or even eliminate the need for daily drops for an extended period.
iStent inject W
The iStent inject W places two microscopic stents, among the smallest medical devices ever implanted in the body, into the eye’s drainage system. Together they create bypass channels that help fluid drain more freely and lower pressure.
iStent infinite
The iStent infinite uses three microscopic stents to open multiple drainage pathways. Unlike earlier iStent models, it can be performed as a standalone procedure, without cataract surgery.
Hydrus Microstent
About the size of an eyelash, the Hydrus Microstent is a flexible scaffold placed inside Schlemm’s canal, the eye’s natural drainage channel. It holds the canal open across a wide section of the eye so fluid can drain more effectively.
AlloFlo
AlloFlo takes a different approach from most MIGS devices. Instead of targeting the eye’s main drainage pathway, it opens access to the uveoscleral pathway, the eye’s second natural drainage route. Your surgeon creates a small space in this pathway and places a thin graft of donor tissue to keep it open.
Canaloplasty
Over time, the eye’s drainage canal can narrow or collapse. A canaloplasty uses a fine microcatheter to deliver a gel-like fluid around the full 360 degrees of the canal, gently opening it and restoring flow. Nothing is left behind in the eye, and no tissue is removed.
Goniotomy
In some patients, the trabecular meshwork becomes the main barrier to drainage. A goniotomy precisely removes a thin strip of this tissue, giving fluid a more direct route into the eye’s natural drainage canal.
Several of our MIGS procedures can be performed during cataract surgery, treating both conditions in one visit, while others can be done on their own, even if you've already had cataract surgery. Your surgeon will recommend the option that's right for your eyes.
Schedule an appointmentWho is a Good Candidate for Interventional Glaucoma?
Interventional glaucoma may be a good fit if you:
- Have been diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma, especially in the early or moderate stages
- Have trouble getting drops into your eye or remembering to use them
- Experience redness, burning, stinging, or dryness from your current drops
- Feel the ongoing cost of glaucoma medication is a burden
- Notice your eyes feel uncomfortable, gritty, or irritated much of the time
- Are planning cataract surgery and would like to address glaucoma at the same time
- Want to take a more active role in protecting your long-term vision
Every treatment plan at the Eye Center of St. Augustine begins with understanding how glaucoma affects your everyday life. At your appointment, our team will have you fill out a short Glaucoma Lifestyle Questionnaire that asks about your experience with drops, any eye symptoms you've noticed, and your overall quality of life. There are no right or wrong answers. Your responses help your doctor recommend the treatment options that make the most sense for you.
Schedule an Appointment
Meet Your Glaucoma Care Team
Our glaucoma surgeons will guide you from your first evaluation through treatment and every follow-up visit after.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I still need eye drops after treatment?
It depends on your glaucoma and the treatment you choose. Many patients are able to use fewer drops after an interventional procedure, and some can stop using them entirely. Your doctor will discuss the options and give you an idea of what to expect before you decide.
Are these procedures safe?
Every procedure carries some risk, but MIGS procedures were designed to be gentler than traditional glaucoma surgery like trabeculectomy. They use tiny incisions, work with the eye’s natural drainage system, and typically involve a faster recovery. Your surgeon will review the specific benefits and risks with you first.
Will my insurance cover interventional glaucoma treatment?
Many interventional glaucoma procedures are covered by Medicare and most insurance plans when medically necessary. Our team will verify your benefits before treatment.
A Modern Approach to Lifelong Glaucoma Care
Glaucoma is a lifelong condition, but managing it shouldn’t take over your life. With interventional glaucoma, our team can lower your eye pressure earlier, help protect more of your vision, and build a plan around your routine rather than the other way around.
The Eye Center of St. Augustine is proud to offer this advanced level of glaucoma care to patients throughout Northeast Florida.
