How is pediatric glaucoma treated?
Pediatric glaucoma is treated by lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) via medical and/or surgical means. Most cases of primary pediatric glaucoma are treated with surgery. Trabeculotomy and goniotomy, which open the drainage canal, are the most common surgical interventions. Other procedures create a bypass route for the aqueous out of the eye. A trabeculectomy creates a guarded opening from the front of the eye to a space underneath the conjunctiva. A tube shunt is a device in which a tube is inserted into the front of the eye or into the vitreous cavity. Fluid from the eye drains to a reservoir that is located on the outside of the eye. Procedures involving laser can also be beneficial in some cases. Control of the glaucoma often requires multiple procedures and examinations under anesthesia. Eye drops and oral medications are the primary treatments for secondary and juvenile glaucoma and are occasionally used for primary pediatric glaucoma. One to several medications may be neces
