Private glaucoma service in Stirling

Glaucoma is usually symptomless in its infancy. Over the course of years as the condition continues to slowly develop, a patient's peripheral vision (the edges/corners of a patient's vision) is the first symptom to develop as a patient begins to become affected. As this is not 'direct vision' patients often do not realise they have glaucoma and hence do not seek treatment. Usually, glaucoma is only picked up at a patient's routine eye test. Other symptoms of glaucoma can include blurred vision and multi-coloured, rainbow like circles surrounding bright light.

In rare cases, glaucoma can develop much quicker and lead to a wide range of symptoms including the standard blurred vision and rings around lights, as well as other such as red eye, headaches, tenderness in the eye area, nausea/vomiting and intense, severe eye pain.

There are numerous types of glaucoma, with the most common type of glaucoma being primary open angle glaucoma. Primary open angle glaucoma tends to develop slowly over many years, and is when the fluid drains in the eye begin to become gradually more clogged over time. Aside from this, there is acute angle closure glaucoma - less common in nature and caused by a sudden blockage of the fluid drains in the eye and a consequent sharp rise in pressure levels within the eye.

People can also be diagnosed with secondary glaucoma which is caused by another underlying eye condition (inflammation for example), and childhood (congenital) glaucoma, which is an extremely rare variant of the condition occurring in young children and often brought on by an abnormality of the eye.

Glaucoma can occur for a number of reasons. The most common cause of glaucoma is the build-up of intraocular pressure in the eye. The nerve which connects the eye to the brain, the optic nerve, becomes damaged as a result of a fluid build-up in the front section of the eye which in turn leads to increased pressure inside the eye. Whilst there is a lack of certainty surrounding why this happens, the prevalence of glaucoma is linked with certain risk factors including age, ethnicity, family history and other medical conditions including short and long-sightedness, as well as diabetes.

Whilst it is also unclear whether anything can be done in preventing glaucoma, regular eye exams are important in recognising it as soon as possible.

Trabeculectomy Surgery

A trabeculectomy is a surgical operation for treating glaucoma designed to lower intraocular pressure inside the eye when both laser and medical treatments fail. This occurs by making a small hole in the wall of the eye, before going on to drain the eye. This reduces pressure levels on the optic nerve, whilst also slowing down and preventing any further damage and vision loss.

At your initial consultation with us at Eye Care Scotland Stirling our Glaucoma Specialist will discuss with you a range of diagnostic tests and scans that we can carry out. These include:

• Visual acuity test
• Intraocular pressure check
• Visual field test
• Optic disc photography

After these tests and scans are complete, our Glaucoma Specialist will then outline a personalised patient pathway plan for you, discussing your options regarding glaucoma treatment - glaucoma medications, glaucoma management, and glaucoma surgery. Each option will be presented and explained in depth in coming to the most appropriate glaucoma treatment plan for you.

Recovery times after glaucoma treatment and glaucoma surgery vary depending on the patient and other mitigating circumstances. Whilst our Glaucoma Specialist will be able to outline this in more detail, below is a summary:

Trabeculectomy Surgery Recovery Time

Trabeculectomy glaucoma surgery is a day case procedure, meaning patients are usually allowed to return home the same day as their surgery. Patients will require continuous follow-up care with their Consultant Ophthalmologist after their glaucoma surgery.

There are a number of steps prescribed in the aftercare for this glaucoma surgery. Patients may be required to take steroid eyedrops for healing and to prevent scarring, cover their eye with a shield when sleeping, avoid rubbing the eye, and avoid heavy lifting, straining, and vigorous exercise. It can take anywhere between two to six weeks for a patient's eye to properly recover from this glaucoma surgery.

The glaucoma treatment cost is dependent on a number of factors. Prices start from:

• Trabeculectomy Surgery - £4,500

We also offer flexible finance through our dedicated finance provider, Chrysalis Finance. Patients have the ability to spread the cost of their treatment over up to 5 years. If patients choose to spread the cost over 10 months, then these payments will be interest free. Should patients choose to pay over a longer period, 14.9% APR will apply. To find out more about our flexible finance, please visit here.

*All prices are per eye and are based on treatment under local anaesthetic. These are just guide prices and will differ from person to person because our treatment packages are all personalised. For more information, give us a call.

At Kings Park Hospital we provide a full hospital-based pathway to our patients from initial consultation through to treatment and aftercare. Our consultants are supported by an experienced multidisciplinary team who work hard to provide the highest levels of care.

At Eye Care Scotland, Stirling, we offer a range of services including:

• Cataract surgery
• Squint surgery
• Refractive lens replacement
• YAG laser
• Glaucoma services
• Ptosis surgery
• Macular degeneration treatment
• Corneal services
• Entropion and ectropion repair
• Chalazion removal
• Diabetic eye disease treatment

You can rest assured that Kings Park Hospital are well equipped to manage a wide range of eye conditions that you may encounter. We follow stringent processes and policies to ensure best possible patient outcomes.