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Posted by: Missouri Eye Institute in Blog on June 6, 2025
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults over 60. It is often asymptomatic in its early stages and may go undiagnosed until it has already caused some degree of vision impairment.
While eye drops are often the first course of treatment recommended by ophthalmologists, other treatments are available. Keep reading to learn more about the glaucoma treatments that can be effective alternatives to eye drops!
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). With glaucoma, the increase in IOP results from improper drainage of the fluid that fills the eye, called aqueous humor.
When fluid drainage is blocked and IOP rises, it causes damage to the optic nerve, the structure within the eye that carries visual information from the retina to the brain. Vision loss caused by optic nerve damage is permanent and cannot be reversed.
All available treatments for glaucoma aim to preserve vision and prevent future vision loss. They attempt to do this by decreasing the production of aqueous humor and/or increasing fluid drainage from the eye, thus helping to lower the eye pressure.
Eye drops are an effective treatment for many patients with glaucoma, but they may not be the best option for everyone. Some patients have less tolerance for the side effects, while for others, they may be ineffective at lowering IOP.
Eye drops are not the only effective treatment for glaucoma. Other options include laser therapies, minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS), and traditional glaucoma surgery.
Patients with the most common type of glaucoma, open-angle, may benefit from laser therapy treatments. These treatments include:
SLT is a quick and painless laser treatment designed to improve fluid outflow by targeting the trabecular meshwork, the eye’s drainage tissue.
ECP lowers IOP by reducing the production of fluid by the ciliary body tissue, which is the structure that produces aqueous humor.
MIGS are surgical treatments that can help relieve IOP using the latest technology and the least invasive techniques. Depending on a patient’s glaucoma diagnosis, an ophthalmologist might recommend the following MIGS:
The iStent is a tiny medical device implanted in the trabecular meshwork to create a permanent channel that improves fluid outflow and lowers IOP.
This MIGS uses a minute tube to open the eye’s drainage canal, restoring natural fluid drainage and decreasing IOP.
During this MIGS, a small section of the trabecular meshwork is removed to promote more effective drainage without an implant.
Traditional glaucoma surgeries are time-tested treatments that can be the most beneficial option for patients with advanced or severe glaucoma. These surgeries include:
In this surgery, a small flap is made on the white part of the eye, the sclera, to form a drainage reservoir, or bleb, which provides an additional way for fluid to drain.
Implantation of a tube shunt to increase fluid drainage is a treatment that is often used for advanced glaucoma that does not respond to other treatments.
For many glaucoma patients, eye drops can effectively reduce fluid production and increase drainage to control IOP, but they are not the only treatment option. Laser therapy, MIGS, and traditional glaucoma surgeries can also help ensure that a glaucoma diagnosis doesn’t lead to irreversible vision loss.
Are eye drops not working for you, or are you experiencing side effects? You have alternatives.
Don’t wait until vision loss becomes permanent. Schedule your consultation with Missouri Eye Institute in Springfield, MO, today to discuss laser therapy, MIGS, or other advanced treatment options that might be right for you.
Springfield
1531 E Bradford Parkway Ste 100
Springfield, MO 65804
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1000 James F. Epps Rd Ste 2
Branson, MO 65616
Joplin
4500 E 32nd St
Joplin, MO 64804
