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SLT FOR GLAUCOMA AND BLEPHARITIS

Posted , 7 users are following.

libralady13
libralady13

Hi I am due to have laser treatment on my left eye in 2 weeks for early stage glaucoma.  I was ok about it but today have googled about patients experiences of this pocedure and find that some have had problems.  I know that everyone is different but I am now worried.  I have had 2 cataract surgeries in the last 2 years the first one ok but the 2nd was awful and I felt everything they were doing as for some reason the eyedrops did not work.  For the first eye I had an the eye completely frozen by injection.  I also suffer with belpharitis and it took ages after each surgery to get it back on track. I have problems with glaucoma eyedrops which is made worse by the blepharitis which is why the laser was recommended.  Is there any one who has any experience of this laser treatment especially f you have dry eyes or blepharitis.  If you do could you tell me exactly what was done and any side effects and medication afterwards.  Many thanks.

1 like, 35 replies

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  • bloominboomer
    bloominboomer libralady13

    Posted

    Hello there!  I'm due to have my first SLT as well on my left eye this summer.  I appreciate what you've written about your surgery, and am glad that your experience was better than you expected.  I must admit that I'm also a bit anxious about this procedure. I have RA and am curious to know if you've ever read anything about having an autoimmune disease and the outcome and side effects of SLT in that instance ~ whether more complications arise or not.  My research isn't yielding much information, although the doc thinks it's a non-issue as such.   Also, I'm not able to find out much in the general studies about the side effect of permanent red eyes as a result of having this procedure. Perhaps this isn't an issue.  As you may have experienced yourself, the various eye drops can have this side effect. Have you heard or read anything significant about anyone having a prolonged red-eye effect after SLT? It's been a year or more since you've had your treatment.  How are you doing currently?
    • libralady13
      libralady13 bloominboomer

      Posted

      Hello,  First of all please don't worry about having the laster treatment.  I am the worlds biggest coward when it come to anything medical not helped by suffering from anxiety, also I have sore eyes at times from belpharitis.  As I mentioned it was virtually painless.  The only thing that was a bit uncomfortable was the thing they use to keep your eye open.  It helps if you keep very still which you have to anyway.  The whole thing took about 5 mins.  I found it helped to count the clicks from the laser in your head, it gives you something to do.  With regard to your R A I would not think it would affect it especially if you don't suffer with inflammation in the eyes from the R A.  I don't know of anyone who has had the laser treatment and is a R A sufferer.  What I can tell you is that I have an under active thyroid and we have R A and Diabetes in the family and they as you know are all auto immune conditions.  I have arthritis but OA not RA.  Hope that helps.  I have not has any problems with inflammation since having the laser and have minimal problems with the glaucoma drop Azopt which I have been on for nearly 1 year.  My blepharitis does still flare up from time to time and I do get dry eyes at times.  I also suffer from rhiniitis and this year with the high pollen count I have had to get hayfever medication and my eyes have played up a little.  We are moving soon and I think all the packing, dust and carboard boxes have not helped.  As it happens I have my last appointment here at the eye hospital this afternoon.  I managed to get an earlier one so I won't have to worry too much when we move at the end of the week.  You know how long it takes after registering with a new gp to get in the system and get a new referral to another eye hospital.  If there is anything else to report which I think might be of interest to you I will post again this evening or tomorrow. Otherwise good luck with the laser treatment and I pray it will work for you and avoid the drops for some time.    
  • Alcantara
    Alcantara libralady13

    Posted

    Yes, I had it done several years ago.    They told me it would take about 90 miniutes, and I had visions of me writhing under a laser all that time!    What ACTUALLY hapenned was that they put eyedrops in that were completely painless and then sent me back into the waiting room without any more info on what would happen next.     I sat there for over an hour until I was finally called in.    They put more eydrops in, also painless.    And then put a contact lens in my eye that was like a jeweller's loup (eyeglass).   The lips of it went under top and bottom lids so I couldn't blink even if I wanted to.    It was slimy, so was also painless.     Sat in front of laser, I could see the end of the laser gun quite clearly. a round circle with dots in it.   She then said she would fire the first of 100 shots into my eye to see how I felt about it.     I felt nothing with the first shot and was asked if I was ready for 25 more, I said yes.    These were fired in quick succession, about wo a second.    Occasionally, I saw a faint green flash and the odd very faint stinging sensation (nowwhere near painful or unpleasant).     Then I had a breather for about 15  seconds, and the next 25 were done, again with little or no feelings.    After all the 100 were done, the eyeglass was taken out and all that I could see was a light blur, nothing else (it was probably caused by the jelly).    I mentioned this, but nothing was said, but even before I had finished describing it, my vision began to clear, and within half a minute or so, it was back to normal.     The eye was not covered up and I was told to go and amuse myself for an hour and collect my eyedrop prescription from the hospital pharmacy.     An hour later, I came back and the pressure was checked as OK at 20.    I was told to put eyedrops in every day for a week to prevent infection.      It felt slightly gritty during the night, but was OK next morning.      That was all.   I would have felt a lot better about it if someone had told me what I have said above.     There were no side effects or anything like that. and since then, the vison in that eye has improved quite a lot for distance, although they told me it was nothing to do with the SLT treatment.  

    Would be inetersted to hear how you get on  - good luck!

    PS   I am 72 and have had high pressure since 1990 and on drops since 1997, but only actual treatment so far has been the SLT in one eye.      Can see pretty well in both eyes.   

    • ros94027
      ros94027 Alcantara

      Posted

      Hi Alcantara, your comment about the SLT was really interesting and I'm pleased for you that your pressure has stayed down. I had SLT about a year ago, but the pressure has gone up again. Now my doctor wants to do a different laser procedure using an IRIDEX laser, which lasers the Schlemm's canal. That is the part that collects the fluid. He says it's something new. I was wondering if you had heard of that. 

    • Alcantara
      Alcantara ros94027

      Posted

      I hadn't heard of it until yesterday, and I did look it up on Google.    Shortly after my SLT, the pressure went up again to 28 so they put me on Azarga and Lumigan that brought it down to between 20 and 24.     Last November, a high street optician told me it was 32 and 28 and refrred me urgently back to the hopsital for trabeculectomy.     Very worrying, but by the time my "urgent" appointment came up three weeks later, it had gone down to 19 and 24, so they just told me to come back in 6 months.    Six months later, I went back and it had gone down to 13 and 22, so I am just carrying on as before.       After it soared last November, I increased my daily exercise (walking, gardening etc) and also stopped drinking alcohol completely.    Before that, I had only drunk white wine, 3 glasses per evening, with one day a week with none at all.     Although I have been assured that stopping the wine would have no effect on lowering the pressure, I believe it has, so I have not started again.   Missed it for a couple of weeks, but no longher think about it, and it saves money as well, also lost 1 1/2 stone in weight!     I don't have glaucoma, just IOP and my sight in both eyes is pretty good. 

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Alcantara

      Posted

      Just wanted to point out that a few years ago during an routine eye exam with the highstreet optician I was told my pressures were 30 and 32 and I was referrred back to Moorfields (I had previously been having regular pressure checks etc for years and was discharged as there was no damage to the eyes).  When I went for the appointment if I remember they were about 24.  I did have some minor changes in the left eye the right was and still is ok.  I was tried on Xalatan but it affected my asthma so was taken off.  It was decided to just have regular checks and to carry on with cataract surgery which I needed on both eyes,  This surgery often lowers the pressure although not always permanently.  I digress, the opthalmologist said that high street opticians often get much high pressure readings as they use the puff of air method.  My bletharitis was at its all time worse at this time and like you with the wineI think this was to do with the rise, although the doctor said no.  As you will see from one of my posts the laser surgery did not work and I am now settled on Azopt just in the left eye twice a day.  The right eye remains healthy.  My last readings last month were 20 in each eye.  I hope this will remain stable but realise things could change.  I think there is still alot to know about why people get higher pressures and then glaucoma.  They can tell you what happens in the eye but not why.
    • Alcantara
      Alcantara libralady13

      Posted

      I think the high street optician was trying to get rid of me!    I had been going to London for years (from the north), but decided to change to somewhere more local, and the NHS suggested I be monitored in a high street opticians.    When the optemetrist did the test, he told me to pull as hard as I could on the tonometer handles.   In the end, I was heaving with all my strength, and he kept shouting, "pull harder!"     I believe that this drove the pressure up temporarily.    I mentioned it when I got to the hospital, and they agreed that was most likely the reason.     Having had pressure tests for 26 years, I felt that there was something very "fishy" about getting me to pull on the handles with all my strength.    All the other tests, I have just been told to relax and breath normally!

      Anyway, I am now with the eye department at the hospitall and more than satisfied with the situation!

    • libralady13
      libralady13 Alcantara

      Posted

      How very odd I have never heard of pulling on handles when having pressure tests not surprised they went up.  It does sound very fishy.  Like you I have been having pressure tests for nearly 20 years and have always just been told to relax breath normally and of course keep still.  I have just moved from Greater London to Greater Manchester and was under Moorfields for years.  I have just had my first visit at the eye department at the local hospital it came through very quickly not like London did not expect to be so soon so made sure I had a thorough exam with Moorfield about a week before we moved.  Glad you are satisfied with your treatment at your hospital.  Bext wishes for the future.
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