Eye specialists are introducing a procedure aimed at improving the care of glaucoma, it was announced yesterday.
Moorfields Hospital, London, UK, said it would be starting trabectomes in April.
The procedure is minimally invasive and aims to reduce patients’ need to take daily eye drops.
Specialists say it takes less than 15 minutes to perform and uses an electrical pulse to remove a small amount of tissue from the eye. It can be combined with a cataract operation.
The news came in advance of World Glaucoma Week next week.
Ophthalmologist Gus Gazzard said: "Trabectome procedures are undertaken in the early course of the disease to delay the need for more major surgery.
"All glaucoma patients on eye drops would potentially be eligible for this treatment although we will initially concentrate on those who need cataract surgery with which this procedure will be combined.
"This has a number of benefits for the NHS and patients, including a reduction in drug use and fewer of the more major operations such as trabeculectomy which overall will save the NHS money in the long run."
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