Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty - Glaucoma Laser Surgery in Scottsdale, Arizona
SLT for glaucoma, or selective laser trabeculoplasty, is a type of laser surgery used to reduce the glaucoma patient’s intraocular pressure (IOP). It’s used when prescription eye drops don’t sufficiently lower the patient’s eye pressure or when the medication causes side effects. It is a minimally invasive surgery.
An SLT laser procedure may be used as a primary treatment for glaucoma. The procedure has been successfully used for at least 25 years in the U.S. and around the world.
Patients with primary or secondary open-angle glaucoma who must lower their IOP may be candidates for the SLT laser procedure. Your doctor makes the final decision about your candidacy for the glaucoma trabeculoplasty laser treatment, so be sure to schedule a consultation that will allow them to assess whether this treatment is best for you.
What Happens When You Visit Our Arizona Glaucoma Specialist?
After you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, we may suggest different types of surgery depending on how advanced it is or if you have other medical conditions that would make certain procedures risky for your health. Each type of surgery has its own pros and cons, so it’s important to understand what those are before deciding on a treatment plan. You may hear the terms: YAG laser trabeculoplasty (YLT), glaucoma drainage implants, laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI), or Ahmed shunt surgery at this point.
What is SLT - Glaucoma Laser Surgery
SLT Laser Procedure for Glaucoma
- Most glaucoma patients experience mild postoperative inflammation that is treatable with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications or eye drops.
- Approximately five percent of patients experience elevated intraocular pressure after surgery. The condition is usually temporary and resolves within 24 hours.
Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty
SLT glaucoma reduces the patient’s IOP by approximately 30 percent when used as a first step in glaucoma treatment.
- • This result favorably compares prostaglandin analogs, the strongest and most frequently used drugs used to manage glaucoma.
- • Patients already taking glaucoma medicines may see a reduced IOP level after SLT and may no longer require other glaucoma medications.
- • Colors that appear faded
- • Most patients experience benefits from SLT glaucoma for one to five years or even longer.
- • A small percentage of patients see reduced benefits of the procedure in just six to 12 months.