The method uses laser light energy to reduce the pressure in the eye and slow further vision loss
A man with grey hair having his eyes tested by another man who looks into his eyes with an ophthalmoscope
A new laser treatment to slow the progression of glaucoma has been introduced at a hospital in Surrey.
The innovative new technique, which is being performed at Frimley Park Hospital, near Camberley, uses laser light energy to reduce the pressure in the eye and impede further vision loss.
Taking just minutes to perform and usually carried out at the same time as cataract surgery, it can last years and leave around 80% of mild to moderate cases medication-free within 12 months.
Mishank Jain, a consultant ophthalmologist from Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Although glaucoma has no cure, early treatment can prevent it developing to the point where more complex surgery is needed."
Glaucoma is the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness and affects more than a million people in the UK, most commonly occurring in adults aged 50 and over, according to the trust.
It occurs where the optic nerve in the back of the eye has been damaged, often by fluid draining away too slowly, resulting in raised pressure.
The condition does not usually cause any symptoms to begin with and can develop slowly over many years.
Traditional glaucoma treatments start with simple eye drops, sometimes followed by a trabeculectomy, which involves surgery to make a small hole in the eye wall or have a stent inserted.
Should these fail, a surgeon faces performing multiple operations to remove the blockage and alter the pressure.
"Frimley Health has an exceptionally busy eye department, and glaucoma affects a significant proportion of our patients, with more than 100 new referrals every month," said Jain.
"Because it takes just minutes to perform, this new treatment enables us to deal with more cases.
"It also offers a lower-risk option than other glaucoma procedures, with a shorter recovery time."
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A nurse giving a woman an eye screening test. Both are seen side on. The nurse, on the right, has brown hair, and is wearing a blue uniform. One hand is adjusting a dial on a machine, similar to a large camera. The woman to the left is looking into the machine with her chin resting on a frame. She has dark braided hair and is wearing a brown leather jacked. A screen can be seen to the side of but the images it is displaying cannot be made out.
