Clinical Ophthalmology (Mar 2022)
How to Stop People from Going Blind from Glaucoma Using Early Cataract Surgery/Refractive Lensectomy and Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery
Abstract
Daniel Laroche,1,2 Melanie Scheive3 1Department of Ophthalmology, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Icahn School of Medicine of Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; 2Advanced Eyecare of New York, New York, NY, USA; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USACorrespondence: Daniel Laroche, Department of Ophthalmology, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and Advanced Eyecare of New York, 49 West 127th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA, Tel +1 212663-0473, Email [email protected]: 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: glaucoma, prevention, cataract surgery, lensectomy, MIGS
