If treatment with laser therapy or medications does not lower intraocular pressure (IOP) to a safe level, your physician may decide that surgery should be performed. One method used to reduce pressure is to make a new drain in the eye. This type of surgery is called a trabeculectomy.
The surgeon removes a tiny section of the wall of the eye which may include the trabecular meshwork. This procedure opens a newly created drain which creates allows for direct bypass of fluid instead of relying solely on the natural mechanism of the trabecular meshwork to reduce eye pressure. Fluid can now drain much more efficiently through the new opening into a reservoir (bleb) underneath the conjunctiva. The fluid is then absorbed by the body. If successful, lower eye pressure will be attained and hopefully the eye will not have any further glaucoma damage and vision will be maintained.
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