A trabeculectomy (also called “glaucoma filtration surgery”) is an eye surgery that treats glaucoma.
With glaucoma, fluid called aqueous humor does not drain properly from the front of the eye. Pressure builds up in the eye, which damages the optic nerve. If it is not treated, glaucoma leads to blindness. Sometimes eye drop medications and laser treatment do not lower the eye pressure enough. That is when your ophthalmologist may recommend surgery.
Mitomycin C is an anti-scarring medication used to significantly enhance the success of the surgery.
Trabeculectomy is done in an outpatient surgery center or a hospital. The procedure usually takes about an hour or less. Here is what happens:
No. This surgery is designed to decrease your pressure to stabilize the vision at its current level. Unfortunately, at this time, there are no procedures that can reverse vision loss from glaucoma.
Your vision will likely be blurry after the surgery. Most patients recover their vision by 6 weeks, however, for some patients, it may take longer.
Like any surgery, trabeculectomy has risks and complications. These include, but are not limited to:
Trabeculectomy is a type of surgery to treat glaucoma. With glaucoma, fluid does not drain properly from the front of the eye. Pressure builds in the eye, which damages the optic nerve.
Trabeculectomy creates a new way for the fluid inside of the eye to drain outside into the bloodstream. This helps reduce eye pressure.
Although there are risks to surgery, as described in this brochure, it is your ophthalmologist’s opinion that the risks of surgery are lower than the risk of vision loss if surgery is not performed.
It is important to note that reducing the eye pressure will not restore lost vision - the goal of surgery is to prevent further vision loss.