Vision Care Specialists

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True. More than 2 million Americans age 40 and older suffer from glaucoma. A million more may have glaucoma and be unaware of it. You will know if you have glaucoma because you will feel pain or have diminished vision. False. There are usually no symptoms at first, but as the disease progresses a person may experience blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, difficulty focusing on objects, and the presence of halos around lights. Unfortunately, once these vision symptoms occur, they cannot be reversed. This is why early diagnosis is key to preserving your vision.

False. Glaucoma can strike anyone, although it is more common in the over 60 population.

True. Populations that are particularly at risk for glaucoma include: African-Americans over the age of 40; individuals over the age of 60, especially Hispanics; people with a family history of glaucoma, individuals who have experienced a serious eye injury; people with other health conditions, such as diabetes.

True. Now there is a comfortable and rapid exam that detects glaucoma years before other technologies, using a GDx instrument. Pepose Vision Institute was one of the first eye practices in the region to invest in a GDx machine, which painlessly performs a safe laser scan of the back of your eye and captures an image in less than one second. It does not require dilation nor does it use any type of probe to touch the eye. It is completely noninvasive in this regard. GDx measures damage to the retinal nerve fiber of the eye, a precursor to full-blown glaucoma.

True. While the progression of glaucoma can be arrested once it is detected, there is no current treatment that can reverse the damage to the optic nerve that has already occurred due to undiagnosed glaucoma.

True. Eye drops, used two or more times a day, can significantly reduce intraocular pressure and thereby slow or stop the progression of glaucoma. These drops must be taken regularly for the rest of your life. Because some patients suffer adverse side effects from these medications, or lack insurance coverage to pay for these drugs, they may wish to consider a surgical alternative to these medications.

True. There are a number of surgical procedures that can be performed for glaucoma. Argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) has been used to treat glaucoma for many years, but because of heat damage to surrounding tissue in the eye, it can only be applied a few times over an individuala's lifetime. Recently, the FDA has approved a laser that performs selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), which causes a 20-30% drop in intraocular pressure in many patients, similar to ALT. But unlike ALT, SLT does not damage surrounding tissues in the eye, which means that it can be used multiple times, even after ALT has failed. Pepose Vision Institute was one of the first eye care practices in the region to invest in the SLT laser. Our surgeons have found that SLT is quick and painless, with no side effects. While no one can promise that it will totally eliminate the need for eye drops, SLT has saved many glaucoma patients thousands of dollars in prescription drug costs and improved their lifestyle by reducing the side effects of glaucoma eye drops.

True. Certain types of glaucoma surgery can be performed with a laser. An argon laser has been used to perform glaucoma surgery, as well as the newer, gentler SLT YAG laser which is lower energy and has shorter pulse duration. Your surgeon will determine the most effective energy level for treatment. For this reason, it is crucial that you choose an eye surgeon who has a great deal of experience performing the SLT procedure. Pepose Vision Institute is one of the most experienced providers of SLT in the bi-state region, and has seen over 70% of its SLT patients respond positively to the treatment. The degree of response is highest for patients who undergo SLT as their primary treatment therapy or those who have been on a minimal eye drop dose for a shorter period of time.

True. However, the exact cause of this elevated intraocular pressure is unknown.

True. SLT is performed in our office setting. It is quick and totally painless.

True. Most insurance plans will cover an eye exam every one or two years for those at high risk for developing glaucoma. Medicare and most private insurance plans cover the GDx diagnostic test that is performed during this visit. Surgical treatment of glaucoma is also covered when medically indicated, subject to the usual deductibles and co-payments. Prescription drug eye drops, used to reduce intraocular pressure, may or may not be covered, depending upon your prescription drug insurance benefit.