Glaucoma is a disease caused by the continuous deterioration of the optic nerve that carries visual messages from the retina to the brain. This is caused by continuous pressure exerted on the optic nerve and the only way to cure it is by lowering the pressure on the optic nerve by performing a surgery. The surgery includes very delicate microscopic incisions and tube implantation and these processes can be risky at times. You can find the best glaucoma hospital in India, but every glaucoma surgery is unique and the complications may vary from patient to patient. This is why a doctor briefly explains all the risks and benefits of the surgeryto the patient. Here are some risks and complications of glaucoma surgery-
Vision Loss: After the operation, you won’t be able to see things clearly for a while. In most cases, surgery always benefits the patient by increasing their vision, but there have been cases where the surgery led to complete vision loss of the patient. This is not among the common side effects, so it is more likely that the outcome of your surgery will also benefit you in the long run.
Bleeding: Even if you get the best treatment from the best glaucoma hospital in India, there may be some complications. Bleeding inside the eye, infection or fluid packet are some uncommon and rare complications but serious ones. Bleeding can cause serious harm to one’s eye and that is why it is important to talk to your ophthalmologist if you are using any blood thinner. In such cases, they will guide you through the right path regarding surgery.
Low Eye Pressure: In some cases, right after the surgery, the eye pressure becomes too low, which is known as hypotony. This is not a rare complication as hypotony is caused by the accumulation of fluid behind the retina, which causes the appearance of shadow and blurriness in one’s peripheral vision. This usually cures after some time as the pressure returns to the intended pressure. In some cases, the pressure doesn’t get back to normal and in such circumstances, surgery needs to be performed.
Infection: Doctors usually give antibiotics before, during, and after the surgery to the patient and take utmost care of sterile surroundings and equipment.But in some unfortunate scenarios, the infection in the eye may occur again. This infection can become very serious as it can threaten one’s vision if not treated on time. These infections may occur weeks, months, and even years after the surgery. This is why it is important to report to your doctor if you experience initial symptoms of an infection like redness or excessive tearing.
Scarring: Even after the surgery, the eye may tend to increase the pressure gain due to natural healing or scarring tendencies of the eye. Sometimes, the scarring can be so severe that you need to start your glaucoma medications and regularly visit the hospital to restart everything from the scratch. You may have to repeat the surgery for glaucoma.
Cataract: Cataract formation is sometimes encouraged by glaucoma surgery, but cataract is way easy to treat when compared to glaucoma. This is why some doctors perform cataract and glaucoma surgery together if they think that your cataract may affect your vision severely. But in some cases, doctors prefer to do glaucoma surgery alone as the complications can increase if the cataract is also done simultaneously. Later, the cataract can be treated safely.
If you or your loved one has to undergo glaucoma surgery, you need to stay aware of the above-discussed risks and complications.