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Glaucoma surgery and implants
Smaller surgery, steadier pressure.
When drops and laser are not enough, or are hard to keep up with, tiny stents, drainage procedures and medicine-releasing implants can lower eye pressure, often alongside cataract surgery.
MIGS means minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
These procedures use very small incisions to improve the eye's natural drainage or create a new path for fluid. Some are done at the same time as cataract surgery.
Options your surgeon may discuss.
Micro-stents
Tiny devices placed in the drainage system of the eye.
Canal procedures
Opening and stretching the eye's natural drain.
Drainage tissue removal
Removing a strip of blocked drainage tissue.
Gel stent
A soft tube that drains fluid under the eye surface.
Medicine implants
A tiny implant inside the eye releases glaucoma medicine.
Traditional surgery
Filtering surgery remains an option for advanced cases.
Often paired with cataract surgery.
Several micro-stents are approved for use during cataract surgery in adults with mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma.
Fewer drops for many people.
In one long-term study of a canal stent placed with cataract surgery, 59% of patients were off glaucoma drops at five years.
Medicine implants
Treatment that lives inside the eye.
Two implants approved for open-angle glaucoma or high eye pressure release a glaucoma medicine inside the eye, for people who have trouble with daily drops.
Your eye doctor stays involved.
Many people see their optometrist for checkups before and after surgery, working with the surgeon who performs the procedure.
Questions to ask about surgery.
Which procedure fits me?
Ask why one option suits your eyes better than another.
Combine with cataract surgery?
If you also have a cataract, ask about combining them.
Will I still need drops?
Ask what to expect for your medicines afterward.
After glaucoma surgery.
Surgery is one part of the plan.
Pressure checks, nerve scans and field tests continue after surgery to make sure your vision stays protected.
Keep exploring.
Fast answers.
Is MIGS safer than traditional glaucoma surgery?
MIGS is generally used earlier, with smaller incisions and a lower risk profile, but it usually lowers pressure less than traditional surgery.
Will I feel the stent?
No. The devices are tiny and sit inside the eye where they are not felt.
Can a medicine implant be repeated?
It depends on the implant. One is given only once per eye, and the other may be replaced, but not more than once a year.
Who decides which surgery I need?
Your eye surgeon, working with the eye doctor who manages your glaucoma.
Talk to an eye doctor about glaucoma surgery.
Find an eye doctor near you with the Vision Rescue doctor locator.
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Sources and notes
- National Eye Institute: Glaucoma
- Alcon: Hydrus Microstent information
- Glaukos: iStent inject W
- AbbVie: prescribing information for its glaucoma medicine implant
- Glaukos: prescribing information for its glaucoma medicine implant
- Exam-room and showroom photography are owned Eye Care Advisors assets approved for use by Vision Rescue.
- Full source list: Vision Rescue sources
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Only an eye care professional who has examined you can recommend what is right for your eyes.
