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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GLAUCOMA AND ITS SURGERY
Glaucoma occurs when the pressure inside the eye is high enough to pinch off the circulation of the optic nerve in the back of your eye. The optic nerve is like a telephone cable. When the cable is damaged you start to lose the connections between the eye and brain. This leads to gradual blindness if not treated properly.
The average pressure for most people is 10-21. In classic glaucoma the optic nerve becomes damaged when the pressure gets above 21. However, there are certain instances when the eye ican be damaged by lower eye pressures; a condition we call normal tension glaucoma
Yes, a family history of glaucoma increases your risk of developing glaucoma by two to ten times depending on the closeness of the relationship. If you have glaucoma, all of your blood relatives need to be informed and they need regular eye exams to watch for it. Age is also a risk factor. After age 40 the risk starts to rise each year.
Clear fluid flows in and out of small space at the front of the eye called the anterior chamber. This fluid bathes and nourishes nearby tissues. If this fluid drains too slowly, pressure builds up and damages the optic nerve. Though this buildup may lead to an increase in eye pressure, the effect of pressure on the optic nerve differs from person to person. Some people may get optic nerve damage at low pressure levels while others tolerate higher pressure levels.
Glaucoma tends to run in families. If you have several family members with glaucoma, you are at a significantly increased risk of developing glaucoma. Glaucoma is more prevalent as people get older. It is also more common in people with diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), or certain other medical conditions. Your risk also increases if you are severely nearsighted or farsighted or if you have a history of certain eye conditions or eye injuries.
No! not always! Glaucoma is called the hidden eye disease because it starts by affecting your side vision in very subtle ways that you cannot detect. By the time it is bad enough that you know you have a problem, it might be too late to save good vision.
Treatment of glaucoma requires lowering the internal eye pressure to allow better circulation in the optic nerve, which preserves it’s health. This is usually done either by the use of eye drop medication taken one or two times per day, or by various forms of surgerry, including glaucooma laser surgery. Glaucoma is a broad term with many intricacies inside its diagnosis and suitable lines of treatment. Dr Khalil, after full evaluation of your case wil decide what is best for your particular glaucoma situation. often, just the use of one eye drop once a day might be all what is needed for your treatment!
No. Glaucoma is like high blood pressure in that medication does not cure the disease, but it does treat it, preventing further damage. Fortunately we have many good medications available now that are very effective and have few side effects. . New and exciting medications are also under development now.
The frequency of your checkups depends on the severity of your glaucoma. If the glaucoma is extremely mild or if you are a low-risk glaucoma suspect, you may only need to be examined on an annual basis. For more severe glaucoma, examinations may need to be done monthly, or possibly even more frequently, until the glaucoma stabilizes. Once the glaucoma is stable, examinations every 3-6 months are usually appropriate.
If diagnosed at an early stage, glaucoma can often be controlled and little or no further vision loss may occur. If left untreated, first peripheral vision and then central vision will be affected and blindness may result.
Unfortunately, any vision loss as a result of glaucoma is usually permanent and cannot be restored. This is why regular preventive eye examinations are so important. Low vision rehabilitation services, that include the use of specialized optical devices and training, may benefit individuals with severe vision loss.
No, but early detection and treatment can control glaucoma and reduce the chances of damage to the eye and a loss of sight.
The signs or symptoms of glaucoma can vary depending on the type.
Primary open angle glaucoma often develops slowly and painlessly, with no early warning signs. It can gradually destroy your vision without you knowing it. The first indication may occur after some vision has already been lost.
Acute angle closure glaucoma, which results from a sudden blockage of drainage channels in your eye, causes a rapid blind up of pressure accompanied by blurred vision, the appearance of colored rings around lights and pain and redness in the eyes.
patients TESTIMONIALS
I wish to convey my most sincere gratitude for the opportunity to have you perform the Lasik procedure for me. I could not have imagined any better care, patience and understanding, pre and post surgery, than that which I received from your team..
I wish to convey my most sincere gratitude for the opportunity to have you perform the Lasik procedure for me. I could not have imagined any better care, patience and understanding.
I could not have imagined any better care, patience and understanding, pre and post surgery, than that which I received from your team..
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services we offer
Eye of Cairo Clinic Services
We offer a wide range of eye care procedures
Comprehensive Eye Consultation
When you come to Dr Khalil Eye Clinic, you will have a full eye consultation, with comprehensive evaluation and discussion regarding your eye condition. Dr Ahmad Khalil will then give you advice on recommended investigations if needed and best course of management
Modern Cataract Surgery
Modern cataract surgery is truly a miracle of modern medicine. Thanks to huge leaps in both technique and technology, it has reached a new pinnacle of success. If your vision has faded as a result of cataracts, your likelihood of recovering more youthful vision with an operation to remove the cataract
Glaucoma and its Surgery
In recent years, the tools available for treating glaucoma, has undergone a phenomenal expansion, thanks to the development of new medicines, and new surgical techniques and devices. All has contributed immensely to the fight against this impeccable disease
Congenital Glaucoma
Dr Khalil has been fighting congenital glaucoma since 1998. He successfully operated more than 1200 cases, one of the highest figures internationally for this rare disease....As he is pioneering a successful surgical technique for the management of the difficult glaucoma in the newborn and infants
Laser Vision Correction
Today’s active lifestyle demands for visual performance that we can rely on, night and day, free of glassed and contact lenses. Some professions simply can not go well with glasses or contact lenses, like pilots, professional sportspeople and others. LASIK can offer glasses free excellent vision to most refractive vision errors
ICL Implantation
For higher levels of short- or long-sightedness or if the cornea is not suitable for LASIK vision correction, phakic lens implantation become the procedure of choice. Though the costier, the ICL has been demonstrated to obtain better visual outcomes compared to Lasik for higher degrees of errors
Keratoconus and Corneal Ectasia
Management of the conical cornea or keratoconus has made revolutionary leaps in past few years, mainly by the introduction of corneal cross linking (CXL), new surgical modalities like intra-corneal rings, and deep lamellar keratoplasty or corneal grafting.
Keratoplasty, Corneal Transplantation
Cornea transplant, or Keratoplasty, is a highly refined surgery, replacing a diseased and opaque cornea with a clear donor cornea. Keratoplasty can restore vision, reduce pain and improve the appearance of a diseased cornea
Laser Treatment of the retina
The laser is an instrument that produces a pure, high-intensity beam of light energy. The laser light can be precisely focused onto the retina (the light sensing tissue at the back of the eye), selectively treating the desired area while leaving the surrounding tissues untouched.
Anti-VEGF Intravitreal Injections
An intravitreal injection is a procedure to place a medication directly into the space in the back of the eye called the vitreous cavity, near the retina. This is commonly used to treat retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, macular edema, and retinal vein occlusion
Squint, strabismus
Though it happens more frequently among younger populations, it may also appear later in life. The misalignment may be permanent or it may be temporary, occurring occasionally, and can be in any direction: inward, outward, upward or downward. If the child is not treated at the appropriate time