What is a trabeculectomy?
Trabeculectomy (say "truh-BEK-you-LEK-tuh-mee") is surgery to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease. It occurs when the nerve that connects the eye to the brain gets damaged. This damage is often caused by extra pressure in the eye. Over time, this pressure can lead to vision problems.
This type of surgery is one way to lower the pressure in the eye. It is sometimes called glaucoma filtration procedure.
First, the doctor puts numbing medicine in your eye. Then the doctor uses special tools and a microscope to make a cut in the white part of your eye. This cut is called an incision. Next, the doctor removes a tiny piece of your eye and makes an opening for fluid to drain out of your eye. Then the doctor closes the incision with stitches.
After surgery, tissue rises over the new opening to make a little blister or bubble on the surface of your eye. This is called a bleb. Extra fluid from your eye will go from the opening into the bleb. Then it gets absorbed by the thin cover on the outside of your eye. You will not feel the fluid. And in most cases, the upper eyelid covers the bleb and it can't be seen.
You may get medicine to make you sleep during the surgery. Or you may be awake, but you will get medicine for pain. The surgery will take about 30 to 90 minutes. You can expect your eye to feel better each day. But it may take 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal.
This surgery may prevent your vision from getting worse. You may also be able to take less glaucoma medicine than before. To make sure that the bleb works well, you may need to see your doctor many times after surgery.
How do you prepare for surgery?
Surgery can be stressful. This information will help you understand what you can expect. And it will help you safely prepare for surgery.
Preparing for surgery
- Be sure you have someone to take you home. Anesthesia and pain medicine will make it unsafe for you to drive or get home on your own.
- Understand exactly what surgery is planned, along with the risks, benefits, and other options.
- If you take aspirin or some other blood thinner, ask your doctor if you should stop taking it before your surgery. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do. These medicines increase the risk of bleeding.
- Tell your doctor ALL the medicines and natural health products you take. Some may increase the risk of problems during your surgery. Your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking any of them before the surgery and how soon to do it.
- Make sure your doctor and the hospital have a copy of your advance care plan. If you don't have one, you may want to prepare one. It lets others know your health care wishes. It's a good thing to have before any type of surgery or procedure.
Where can you learn more?
Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd
Enter R973 in the search box to learn more about "Trabeculectomy: Before Your Surgery".
