Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty
Glaucoma Eye Surgery
Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty
Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty is a type of laser glaucoma surgery that helps aqueous fluid drain out of the eye to lower the intraocular pressure. Your glaucoma specialist may suggest this surgery at any time. In most cases glaucoma eye drops will still be needed after this procedure but hopefully in lesser amounts. Before the surgery, numbing drops will be applied to your eye. As you sit facing the laser machine, your eye doctor will hold a special lens to your eye. A high-intensity beam of light is aimed at the lens and reflected onto the trabecular meshwork inside your eye. You may see flashes of bright green or red light. The laser makes several evenly spaced thermal burns that stretch the drainage holes in the trabecular meshwork. This allows the aqueous fluid to drain better.
Like any surgery, laser surgery can cause side effects, such as inflammation. Your eye doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory drops and/or antibiotic drops for any soreness or inflammation inside the eye. You need to make several follow-up visits to have your eye pressure monitored. If you have glaucoma in both eyes, only one eye will be treated at a time. Laser treatments for each eye will be scheduled several days to several weeks apart.