How to Stop People from Going Blind from Glaucoma Using Early Cataract Surgery/Refractive Lensectomy and Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery

Daniel Laroche; Melanie Scheive

doi:10.2147/OPTH.S354338

How to Stop People from Going Blind from Glaucoma Using Early Cataract Surgery/Refractive Lensectomy and Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery

Clin Ophthalmol. 2022 Mar 15:16:815-821. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S354338. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Daniel Laroche^{1

2}, Melanie Scheive³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
² Advanced Eyecare of New York, New York, NY, USA.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

Abstract

Glaucoma continues to be a leading cause of blindness worldwide for the same reasons as in the past several decades, including the lack of early detection, improper treatment, and non-adherence to therapy. Medical therapy continues to be the first-line therapy even as surgical techniques are improving in their safety and efficacy. To turn the tide in preventing blindness from glaucoma, attention must be focused on targeted patient education, screening, effective treatment, and addressing health disparities. To achieve this, early safer cataract surgery and microinvasive glaucoma surgery must be considered as a first-line therapy in addition to medical therapy to best lower both intraocular pressure and the medication burden.

Keywords: MIGS; cataract surgery; glaucoma; lensectomy; prevention.