MIGS protects visual fields compared to eye drops

This week is World Glaucoma Week, and I am glad to share some recent evidence from a glaucoma trial called The Horizon Study.  This study compared the use of a glaucoma stent to medication use and five-year results have shown that patients who received the glaucoma stent had more protection in their field of vision compared to patients who were at a similar eye pressure but were treated with glaucoma drops.

We know that the glaucoma stents are safe and effective at lowering the pressure, but this is the first time in a large clinical trial that we have been able to demonstrate superiority in visual field preservation compared to glaucoma drops. 

I am conducting research which I recently presented at the American Glaucoma Society which shows that minimally invasive glaucoma surgery also improves the quality of life of patients, which is hugely important when contemplating treatment options. 

We have more treatment options than ever before available to us to help our glaucoma patients best control their disease and protect them from irreversible visual fields and sight loss. 

As always, prevention is better than cure and world glaucoma week provides an ideal opportunity to raise awareness of glaucoma and eye health in general. I encourage all of you who are reading this blog to tell your friends and family who have not recently had a sight test to contact either their optometrist or ophthalmologist to get a test as many conditions can get picked up at routine sight tests which otherwise would go undiagnosed. Glaucoma is a classic example of this as it is known as 'The Silent Thief of Sight' as often patients have no symptoms until the disease is already moderately advanced. 

Keep looking after your eyes and promoting eye health awareness amongst your friends and family.