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Trabeculectomy anyone?

Posted , 9 users are following.

patricia43291
patricia43291

Hi

I'm wondering if anyone has had a trabeculectomy, and if you would recommend it.

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • iqbal_45667
    iqbal_45667 patricia43291

    Posted

    I would also like to see views of people in this regard. I never heard about this procedure.

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 iqbal_45667

      Posted

      Hi iqbal,

      I had laser trabeculoplasty done in 2016, but it did not help me. I am on four different glaucoma meds, and pressure is still at the high end. The doctor now is suggesting the trabeculectomy, which is more invasive, but common apparently. He also said he would do cataract surgery at the same time. Yikes! Is what I'm saying.

  • tracyjh
    tracyjh patricia43291

    Posted

    Hi I had a Trabeculectomy back in 2017. It preserved the sight I had left in my eye ,my surgeon said if i hadn't of had it done then I would have lost the sight in that eye within 12 months.

    I opted for general anaesthetic for the operation as I suffer from anxiety so the local was out of the question. I had minimal swelling and bruising afterwards and had to wear a eye shield overnight for a while.I had to go for very regular checks. You have to be very careful for the 3 months afterwards, no bending,lifting or driving. I had to reapply for my driving licence and have to renew it every 5 years now.

    my mother is blind, so we have a long family history of glaucoma so I am aware that eyesight is a precious thing. nearly 2 years on and the pressure in that eye is still only 7 so yes I would definitely recommend the operation.

    I was 50 when I had the operation and it was only day surgery but had to return the next day for checks and removal of dressings.

    Good luck, please keep us updated with your progress xx

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 tracyjh

      Posted

      Thank you Tracyjh for all the details of your ordeal. I have to decide. Having a pressure of 7 sounds really low. Mine have been at 22 for a while, and I am using just about every eye drop there is, so...but he never said I would go blind if I don't do it.

    • tracyjh
      tracyjh patricia43291

      Posted

      My pressure had fluctuated between 18 and 24 and my opthamologist had tried me on every type of drop to try to bring it down but it never happened. I think maybe why blindness was a possibility for me is because my mother started with glaucoma then it went to macular degeneration which then made her go blind, so because of my close family history then I am at a higher risk.

      I know I don't regret having the trabeculectomy and I wouldn't hesitate to have it done in my other eye if it was ever needed. I used to suffer with pressure headaches before the op which would put me in bed for 3 days at a time, but since the trab I rarely get a headache now.

    • samantha1970
      samantha1970 tracyjh

      Posted

      Hi Tracy,

      interesting, your pressures are similar to mine and i have headaches.

      do you have narrow angle glaucoma?

      i use 4 different drips a day!

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 tracyjh

      Posted

      Wow the headaches are constant for me. I've I always gotten migraines, and just thought that's what it was. I also got shingles recently, all on one side of my head, and I have been thinking the shingles nerve pain was causing more migraines. My doctor has never mentioned a relationship between headaches and high eye pressure. Do you know if this is common? Is the pressure in your other eye ok? Do you live in the UK?

    • tracyjh
      tracyjh patricia43291

      Posted

      Hi Patricia. I do live in The UK, in Devon.

      I believe that eye pressure is related to headaches and migraines as you can get light flashes caused by glaucoma which in turn can bring on a migraine. Thing is you have to be careful what headache treatment you take as there are so many that you shouldn't take if you have glaucoma

      The pressure in my other eye fluctuates between 9 and 16 so I take 2 types of drops in that eye to try to control the pressure, whereas the eye I had the trabeculectomy in I don't have to use any medicated drops in that eye now just normal optrex drops when it feels dry if I have been on the computer for too long! regards T x

    • samantha1970
      samantha1970 tracyjh

      Posted

      Hi Tracy, same as i. interesting as my doctor doesn't believe in my headaches - i always know when my pressure rises as i can feel it going queasy before the headache. i started having headaches at 25 - now i'm 48. Glaucoma also runs in the family with blindness in okder generations.

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 tracyjh

      Posted

      Thank you Tracy. No one has ever mentioned headache treatments that would not be good if one had glaucoma. I have been taking Imitrex. I take it everyday, in fact. Do you know if that is one I shouldn't be taking? Over the counter pain meds, don't ever touch the migraine. Don't know what else to take.

      I live in the US, and I think we are behind in a lot of medical research.

    • tracyjh
      tracyjh patricia43291

      Posted

      Hi Patricia. It should tell you on the patient information leaflet that's in the box with the tablets if they're ok to take with glaucoma. or double check with your doctor to be on the safe side. one doctor had prescribed me maxalt melt and then it wasn't until I saw my eye surgeon that he told me that the maxalt can make glaucoma worse, and when I looked at the leaflet it did actually say not to be taken if you have glaucoma. Thing is, I never used to read these leaflets I just trusted my doctor, but I make sure I read them now. x

  • mick24946
    mick24946 patricia43291

    Posted

    I've had 2 trabs, first in 2017 in left eye, no problems, and I had another in my right eye this time, one week ago!

    My pressures were not high, but were unstable and drops didn't stabilise .

    I have normal-tension open angle glaucoma.

    One week (almost) post-op vision is fine, eye is blood-shot (but improving), slight discomfort but all bearable.

    Would I recommend it? - You need to discuss with your consultant. Mine is very good and we take a diagnostic approach together!

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 mick24946

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.

      I have been getting by with four different drops, and so far the pressure has stayed stable. I see him again in December. He told me about another procedure that he would only do at the same time as cataract surgery, which he said I might be ready for by then.

    • mick24946
      mick24946 patricia43291

      Posted

      I had cataracts done in both eyes about 9 years ago, so not a problem for me!

      I also had a vitrectomy in my right eye.

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