Interventional Glaucoma

A fixed combination of brinzolamide 1% and brimonidine 0.2% used twice a day lowers IOP significantly more than either drug alone and is as safe as either, according to results of a 6-month, Phase III study.

Research in glaucoma that evaluates the molecular interactions between resident and systemic immune cells and neurons is progressing with the goal of providing translational applications for immunomodulation as a neuroprotective strategy in patients with glaucoma, said Gülgün Tezel, MD.

The European Commission has approved the eye drop suspension of brinzolamide 10 mg/mL and brimonidine tartrate 2 mg/mL to decrease elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in adult patients who have open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

A glaucoma specialist explores endoscopic visualization for the diagnosis and treatment of uveitic-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome.

Although surgical intervention is not always necessary in eyes with choroidal detachment, drainage should be performed if spontaneous resolution does not occur in order to restore normal anatomy and prevent trabeculectomy failure.

Hydrogel punctal plugs may be a safe and viable method for delivery of anti-glaucoma drugs in the future.

An investigational glaucoma device that shunts aqueous from the anterior chamber to a sub-conjunctival/sub-Tenon’s pouch is being evaluated in a prospective study of 35 eyes operated on at two centers.

Acute glaucoma in mice is largely an inflammatory disease, and high intraocular pressure (IOP) causes vision loss by starting an inflammatory response similar to that caused by bacterial infections.

When detecting and evaluating the progression of glaucoma, Bruch's membrane opening-minimum rim width (BRO-MRW) may be the best predictor of the threshold of visual sensitivity and total deviation of visual field, according to a new study.

A nanophotonics-based device implanted in the eye may one day enable patients with glaucoma to monitor their IOP from home.

Diurnal IOP curves have limited value in clinical practice for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a newly published study.

Gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy is a circumferential trabeculotomy performed via a minimally invasive, ab interno approach. Results from follow-up of 6 to 12 months in a series of 85 adult eyes with uncontrolled glaucoma show high IOP lowering, along with a reduced need for medication.

When people sleep with their heads elevated 20 degrees, their nocturnal IOP is lower than when they sleep with their heads flat, finds a newly published study.

Increased blood pressure contributes to elevated IOP and possibly the development of glaucoma, according to the findings of a recent meta-analysis.

Advances in ultrasound biomicroscopy enable the capture of higher quality images to ophthalmic surgeons who seek accurate diagnoses or anatomic measurements.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion for brinzolamide 10 mg/mL and brimonidine tartrate 2 mg/mL eye drops suspension (Simbrinza, Alcon) to decrease elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in adult patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, for whom monotherapy provides insufficient IOP reduction.

Implantation of two trabecular micro-bypass devices (iStent inject, Glaukos) reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) at least as effectively as a fixed combination of latanoprost/timolol in patients who had open-angle glaucoma that was not controlled by one medication, according to a recent study.

The "Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala" raises money for GRF research and education. The gala includes a reception, silent and lives auctions, dinner, entertainment, and awards. For a glimpse of the evening's festivities, view the slide show.

The advent of 24-hour IOP monitoring will transform the care of patients with glaucoma and usher in a new era of personalizing IOP.24-hour IOP monitoring set to revolutionize glaucoma research and clinical care.

Increased patients and patient access, new payment models, and the rise of comparative effectiveness research top the list of challenges that ophthalmologists will face in the future, according to William L. Rich, III, MD, FACS.

The search for glaucoma biomarkers is in high gear. Funded by Catalyst for a Cure, the research program has already produced new biomarker candidates and novel techniques that promise to advance research in glaucoma. Research is focusing on ways to diagnose glaucoma early and detect the specific, minute changes that could allow researchers to reduce vision loss.

The availability of technologies for ambulatory IOP measurement will usher in a new era in glaucoma patient management. L. Jay Katz, MD, said the technologies will provide better understanding of IOP and patient adherence to topical medications and to make more timely adjustments in therapy while reducing the number of office visits.

New generation of surgical procedures for glaucoma are being performed with good facility and encouraging safety and efficacy results. Only time will tell whether these techniques will maintain their initial promise and how they impact the treatment for glaucoma.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is only the starting point for glaucoma treatment. Successful treatment begins with establishing an IOP goal, but there are multiple considerations that affect treatment choices. Robert Stamper, MD, explored the considerations that go into drug selection. None of the factors that should influence drug selection are new, he said, but it is easy to forget that the patient with glaucoma likely has other medical problems and is taking other medications.

Future healthcare reform is not a luxury. Rather, it is a necessity, especially when the performance and costs of healthcare in the United States are considered.