FAQs / My Doctor Told Me That If I Had Canaloplasty I Would Not Be Able to Have Trabeculectomy in the Future. Is This True?

ANSWER:

One of the common misconceptions about Canaloplasty is that it eliminates the future option a Trabeculectomy . It’s also, sadly, one of the more common reasons patients chose not to have Canaloplasty when their glaucoma is severe enough that it requires surgical treatment.   Surgeons who do not perform (or only infrequently perform) Canaloplasty may have the impression that trabeculectomy cannot be performed after Canaloplasty.  Why would this be so?  Well, as a general rule, once you have had surgery on the conjunctiva it is technically more challenging to perform trabeculectomy due to the scarring from prior surgery.  Even if the surgery can be successfully performed, trabeculectomies after prior eye surgery are more likely to fail.  As Canaloplasty is performed by creating a conjunctival flap in the area of the eye commonly used for other glaucoma surgeries, it’s reasonable for surgeons who have little experience with Canaloplasty to assume that trabeculectomy would also be difficult or prone to failure after Canaloplasty.

From Experienced Canaloplasty surgeons…

Experienced Canaloplasty surgeons, however, have been aware for years that the conjunctiva in the area of prior Canaloplasty has a very normal appearance with minimal scarring.  This is very different than the expected conjunctival scarring seen after other glaucoma, retinal or older style cataract surgeries.  Among experienced Canaloplasty surgeons it has also been accepted that Canalolplasty does not limit a skilled surgeon’s ability to perform either a trabeculectomy or placement of a tube implant (Ahmed, Baerveldt, or Molteno) in the area of prior Canaloplasty surgery.  Unfortunately, this was considered hearsay by most glaucoma surgeons with little or no experience with Canaloplasty.

Read the Full Text here: Is Trabeculectomy an Option after Canaloplasty?

Posted in: Canaloplasty, Canaloplasty and Other Surgeries