Narrow Angle Glaucoma Surgery, Anybody had it?

20 years ago

I am wondering if anyone has had the laser surgery for Narrow Angle Glaucoma. My eye doctor says that I need the surgery because I am at risk for an acute attack of glaucoma. My mother had both the chronic and the acute form and had an attack when she was about 80 years old that blinded her left eye. I am hesitant about the surgery because the surgery can also cause blindness if the pressure goes up too much. I will be seeking a second and a third opinion from doctors but was just wondering if anyone has had experience with this surgery. Thanks. Judith

Featured Answer

thirdfrt

20 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi Judith,

My name is thirdfrt and I normally do not come here, but I was doing a search for something else and ran across your thread here.

I just wanted you to know that I had the laser surgery for what they told me was Narrow Angle Closure Glaucoma and or Narrow Angle Glaucoma. I am farsighted and was told that I was actually born with this condition because I am farsighted. It was caught in its early stage and the ophthalmologist who performed the surgery did both eyes.

First, they put special drops in my eyes and waited until it took. The drops kind of gave me a headache but, after the surgery they put something else in my eyes to counteract the first drops.

After they put the first drops in my eyes and waited, then all I did was go over to a machine, that looked very similar to those that you look through to have your eyes examined. He took his time and looked through the other side of the machine and then he instructed me on what he wanted me to do with my eyes and then he used the laser on my left eye and then he used it on my right eye.

I had a great doctor and I never felt any pain whatsoever with the laser. I took a dark pair of sunglasses with me to wear after the surgery. My husband drove though. You really should have someone go with you, because of the drops they put in your eyes. Better safe than sorry.

I believe it only took me 3 to 4 hours and I could see perfectly again. As a matter a fact I could see better. He did give me drops to use for a few days and that was it. The drops were to help keep my eyes from drying out after the laser surgery was done.

I will tell you that you should find a good ophthalmologist, that will explain all of this to you. If you do not trust this doctor, then I would call around to other doctors and ask how many times he has performed this procedure.

I found this site that explains it all pretty good. I will leave the link here for you to see.

It sounds scary, but if you have a doctor that you can trust to do the surgery you will do a lot better. They told me that if I didn't have it done that I could go blind later.

One more thing, once the surgery is done, they should do several follow ups, to make sure that the eyes do not close back up again. In my case they didn't close back up and I will never have to have the surgery again. This eye condition is curable, if you get it in its early stage.

I hope that I have explained this well enough. Do your homework and find a good Opthalmologist, then have the surgery. I did my homework on this and let me tell you the laser is so much better and faster, than the way that they use to do it. I don't think you want to know how they used to do it. All I will say to that is ouch!! LOL!!

I hope this helps and will ease your mind. I was scared too at the time and I trusted my doctor. :-) It will be ok.

thirdfrt!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Angle Closure Glaucoma

Comments (14)

PeaBee4
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Judith, I was wondering if you ever had the surgery. And if so, how did it go? I have a friend that has glaucoma and she has been thinking about some kind of surgical procedure.
thanks PB
Judith
Original Author
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
No, I haven't had the surgery. I don't like or trust this new doctor. He has never explained just what the surgery would involve or how much recovery time I would need. I have no one to drive me there and back, if I can't drive myself. I do plan to get a second or third opinion. I was hoping that others would have had the surgery and could tell me something about it. There is a risk of blindness with the surgery and I don't feel right about this doctor doing it.
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Judith
Original Author
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you so much, Thirdfrt, for the link and the information. That is just the information I was hoping for. I will read all of the information on the links. Since I am now 65 years old and live by myself out in the country, I needed to know what to expect from the surgery and the recovery time. I have 4 horses to feed twice a day plus cats and dogs so I need to know if I would be able to do that. There is no one else to help me with it. Also, I am still working full time at my regular job and have a 30 mile commute and would have that much of a commute to and from the surgery. Thanks again. Judith
thirdfrt
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Judith,

I just came back to see if you received my information. I also checked out the link that I sent to you and for some reason, I am getting the page (cannot be displayed). Why I have no idea. Sometimes they come back. There have been times I have been unable to receive the link and someone else tells me they can get the link. Why this happens is beyond me. Just keep trying the link. I will tell you, that I looked this up and found it on Google. Just type in www.google.com and when you get there you will see a long box, type in narrow angle closure gluacoma or narrow angle glaucoma in that box and click the button that says google search. It will take you to a lot of sights that will cover this subject.

I am giving you these instructions for google, just in case you have never used this search engine before. If you have used it before, then just ignore this.

I hope everything goes well for you Judith and that you will find a very good Opthalmologist, that knows what he is doing. I will be thinking of you. :-)

thirdfrt!!!
thirdfrt
20 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Judith,

Just a quick note to let you know that the link is working again. Hope this helps.

thirdfrt!!!
freeze17_comcast_net
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks forn all the info - this is the ONLY comforting thing i found on google as i am having this done tomorrow!!!! thank u
Janine Peacock
JoAnn_Fla
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I had it done almost a year ago. Its painless and very simple.
JoAnn_Fla
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
How did it go Janine?
suny_2010
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
thirdfrt,

I came across this and I have had the same thing. How old were you when you were first diagnosed and had the irodotomies. I was wondering if you are still sympton free, and do you feel its was a cure? I had the iridotomies a couple of months ago with no problem. But I still worry it can develop.

Thanks,
suny_2010
tjcarita
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hello, Just thought I'd put this out there..

I am very farsighted in both eyes and my left eye is a very lazy eye (meaning very weak vision). I had a new implant in my left eye about 2 years ago but it didn't do much to help the vision in my lazy left eye much. But because of the new lens implant in my left eye my Narrow Angle is not an issue anymore. The fluids are moving as they should now.
About my right eye ....
I'm 66 and the doctor wants me to wait a little longer before I getting a new implant lens in my right eye. It's my only good eye so she want me to wait as long as I can before messing with my only good eye. But she said I needed to have the laser surgery done because of my Narrow Angle problem. So....
Last week I had the laser treatment done for Narrow Angle in my right eye. The laser surgery is not painful but later after arriving home the numbing drops wore off and I was in discomfort for about 16 hours. The eye felt irritated and burned a little like when you have something in your eye or a scratch on you cornea. I put the drops in as prescribed and the next morning I was ok again, it felt much better.
The laser felt like a little pinch in the eye, not very painful at all. I was lasered two times. I'm on a 3-4 month check up now because the Doctor said I'm still at risk for an attack. I understand that some people don't feel any pain at all. I think this surgery is worth having and the discomfort is was not that bad.
The Doctor said If I feel any pain whatsoever I should call the office immediately,
Do Not Go to a Hospital Emergency Room.
wendybray
8 years ago
Im fixin to have the surgery fri. the 21st. Im going thru with it, my eye sight sucks, Im only 47, white female, my moms has issues with her eyes, I don't wanna lose my sight, I got a grandson that means the world to me, we do so much, he needs me to have my sight . Will let u know how it goes.
tjcarita
8 years ago
I hope all goes well for you Wendy....Tony
tjcarita
8 years ago
4 days to go Wendy... chin up.... I'm hoping for the best for you... I'll say a prayer for you but I'm willing to bet you don't need it. It's amazing what they can do today! Tony

Narrow Angle Glaucoma Surgery, Anybody had it?

thirdfrt

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