SLT – SELECTIVE LASER TRABECULOPLASTY
HOW TO LOWER THE NEEDS FOR ANTIGLAUCOMA DROPS
It is completely renewed laser treatment in open-angle glaucoma.
Up-to-now, the first step in glaucoma treatment were drops, but a great number of patients has drop intolerance, irritations of the eye, as well as systemic side effects of the drugs.
In that case SLT is the best option and could, for a while, replace or postpone the need for glaucoma surgery.
Until recently, the early surgical treatment was not available, but nowadays, with MIGS (mini-invasive glaucoma surgery) it is possible to operate the early and mid-advanced glaucoma cases before already developed large damages of optic nerve. In advanced cases, of course, the other option should be considered – ex-press shunts.
In the sense of good postoperative responses in MIGS, the healthy ocular surface without irritation is needed. We have to remove the drops and, during that period, selective laser trabeculoplasty finds its place.
The effect of SLT can last between 6 months-2 years. Meanwhile, the effect of the treatment is precisely followed by electrophysiology and in the case of first changing reported, mini-invasive glaucoma surgery with miniaturized gel implant ( XEN) may be suggested.