GLAUCOMA TREATMENT MELBOURNE

HAWTHORN EYE CLINIC

Safe and effective treatment, with the aim to preserve vision and maintain quality of life.

GLAUCOMA TREATMENT MELBOURNE

A PATIENT’S GUIDE

Our ophthalmologists take the time to explain each diagnosis in clear, simple terms and discuss all available treatment options. We encourage questions, so you can make educated decisions about your eye care treatment with confidence.

All the specialists use cutting edge, proven technology and strive to provide you with high quality care.

HAWTHORN EYE CLINIC
Learn more about glaucoma and how it is diagnosed and treated:

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our frequently asked questions section to find answers to common questions about glaucoma surgery including:

  • Do I need glaucoma surgery?

  • How long does glaucoma surgery take?

  • Is glaucoma surgery painful?

  • How much does glaucoma surgery cost?

  • Can glaucoma symptoms return?

  • Are there risks with glaucoma surgery?

  • How long until I can drive after glaucoma surgery?

  • How long until I can undertake everyday activities after surgery?

What is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve — the nerve that carries visual information from your eye to your brain. This damage is often linked to increased pressure inside the eye (intraoccular pressure), although glaucoma can also occur when eye pressure is within the normal range. Over time, the condition can cause gradual and permanent vision loss.

In most cases, glaucoma develops slowly and without noticeable symptoms, often affecting side vision first. Because early changes can be difficult to detect, regular comprehensive eye examinations — particularly from age 40 onwards — are essential. While vision loss from glaucoma cannot be reversed, early diagnosis and treatment can slow or prevent further damage and help protect your eyesight.

glaucoma diagnosis

What are the causes of Glaucoma

Optic Nerve Damage and Eye Pressure – Glaucoma develops when the optic nerve becomes damaged, leading to gradual vision loss and blind spots in your vision. In most cases, this damage is linked to increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). Pressure rises when the clear fluid inside the eye (aqueous humour) does not drain properly through the eye’s drainage system (trabecular meshwork). If fluid builds up, pressure increases and can injure the optic nerve over time.

Open-Angle Glaucoma – The drainage angle in the eye remains open, but the drainage system does not work efficiently. Eye pressure increases slowly, and vision loss usually develops gradually without early symptoms.

Angle-Closure Glaucoma – This occurs when the iris blocks the drainage angle in the eye, preventing fluid from leaving the eye. Pressure can rise quickly and may cause sudden symptoms such as eye pain, blurred vision, headache, and nausea. It can also develop more gradually in some cases.

Normal-Tension Glaucoma – Optic nerve damage occurs even though eye pressure is within the normal range. Reduced blood flow or increased sensitivity of the optic nerve may play a role.

Childhood (Congenital) Glaucoma – Present at birth or early childhood due to abnormal drainage development.

Pigmentary Glaucoma – Pigment from the iris blocks the drainage system, increasing eye pressure.

Secondary Glaucoma – Can occur after an eye injury, inflammation, infection, vascular problems, or long-term steroid use.

Glaucoma often runs in families, and genetic factors may increase the risk of developing the condition.

Am I at risk of getting glaucoma?

Glaucoma risk factors include:

  • Aged over 55

  • High internal eye pressure, also known as intraocular pressure

  • Family history of glaucoma

  • Thin corneas

  • Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, migraine, high blood pressure and sickle cell anemia

  • Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness

  • An eye injury or after certain types of eye surgery

  • Taking corticosteroid medicines, especially eye drops, for a long time

  • Some people have narrow drainage angles, putting them at increased risk of angle-closure glaucoma.

What are the symptoms of glaucoma and how can it affect vision?

There are different types of glaucoma that may exhibit different symptoms. Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma is the most common, accounting for 90% of glaucoma cases in Australia – Source: Glaucoma Australia.

As glaucoma develops the following symptoms may occur:

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma – There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma. Damage progresses slowly and destroys vision gradually, starting with peripheral vision. This early vision loss often goes unnoticed until a significant amount of damage to the optic nerve has already occurred.

Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma – May cause severe eye pain associated with nausea and vomiting, headache, watery eyes, sudden onset of blurred vision or seeing halos around light. This is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is required.

While vision loss can’t be restored, early diagnosis and treatment can delay or halt the progression of the disease. That is why it’s so important to detect the problem as early as possible.

Symptoms may include:

  • Gradual deterioration in vision

  • Glare and sensitivity to bright lights

  • Progressively blurred, hazy and foggy vision.

  • Haloes around bright lights (especially noticeable at night)

  • Colours may become duller and darker

  • Overtime, loss of sight.

How is glaucoma diagnosed?

Glaucoma is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination by an eye care professional, focusing on detecting damage to the optic nerve and measuring eye pressure. Eye examinations to detect glaucoma may include:

Diagnostic test Description
Orthoptic Examination: Assessment of visual acuity, stereo-vision, double-vision, ocular motility and size of eye-turn.
Slit Lamp Exam: A microscope examination to assess the general health of the eye and retina.
Cycloplegic Retinoscopy: Usually for children, cyclopentolate eye drops temporarily dilate the pupil and relax the eye’s focusing muscles, allowing a more accurate refraction measurement.
Additional Testing: Using the IOL Master to accurately measure the length of the eye in cases of short-sightedness..
cataract diagnosis

These tests are crucial because, in the early stages, most forms of glaucoma present no symptoms. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the only way to detect the disease before significant, irreversible vision loss occurs.

Glaucoma Treatment Melbourne

If you have any questions about glaucoma treatment, appointment bookings, location or opening hours, visit:

How is glaucoma treated?

Glaucoma Treatment & Surgery

Glaucoma treatments focus on lowering intraocular pressure to prevent further, irreversible damage to the optic nerve. While optic nerve damage is incurable, early diagnosis may assist to stop sight loss, typically starting with daily medication to improve fluid drainage or reduce fluid production.

Glaucoma treatments may include:

Medicated Eye Drops – First-line treatment (e.g., prostaglandin analogues, beta-blockers) to reduce eye pressure.

Laser Therapy – Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty helps fluid drainage, often used early in treatment.

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery – Microscopic stents that lower pressure with fewer complications than traditional surgery.

Traditional Surgery – Trabeculectomy creates a new drainage pathway, usually reserved for advanced or uncontrolled cases.

Trabeculectomy (Glaucoma Surgery)

Trabeculectomy is a well-established surgical procedure used to lower eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP) in people with glaucoma. It has been performed for over 40 years and is often recommended when eye drops or laser treatment are no longer controlling the pressure adequately.

How it works

During surgery, a tiny opening is created in the white part of the eye (sclera) to allow fluid to drain in a controlled way into a small reservoir under the upper eyelid, called a bleb. By improving fluid drainage, the pressure inside the eye is reduced, helping to slow further damage to the optic nerve. The bleb is usually hidden beneath the upper eyelid and not visible in normal position.

Glaucoma surgery useful facts

Who is it for – A Trabeculectomy may be recommended if:

  • Eye pressure remains high despite medications or laser treatment
  • Glaucoma is progressing
  • Eye drops are not tolerated or cause significant side effects

Outpatient/day procedure – Most glaucoma surgeries are performed as a day procedure, meaning most patients can go home the same day.

How long does the surgery take? – The procedure itself usually takes 30 to 90 minutes depending on patient specific circumstances.

Anaesthesia & pain management – The team will aim to make the procedure pain free. Numbing eye drops and local anaesthetic are used before and during the operation so you won’t feel the surgery. You may be given intravenous sedation to help you relax. Most people experience little to no discomfort and may not remember the operation.

You’ll be awake during the surgery – You won’t see or feel any of the surgical procedure in your eye. Intravenous sedation will keep you relaxed.

After the surgery/eye protection – To prevent minor trauma, your doctor will recommend wearing an eye shield or patch after the procedure.

What happens after your glaucoma surgery?

Immediately after surgery:

  • Your surgeon and the eye care team will monitor you for 15 to 30 minutes
  • You will have your eye covered with a protective shield or patch after surgery
  • Do not rub or touch your eye after the surgery
  • Your home eye care plan will be discussed with you in detail, as well as follow up appointment to check on your progress
  • Temporary side effects may include watery, gritty and/or red or bloodshot eyes.

1-2 weeks after surgery:

  • Use your prescribed eye drops exactly as directed
  • Keep your protective eye shield on at night to avoid rubbing the eye in your sleep
  • Avoid bending over, lifting heavy objects, or straining
  • Don’t rub or press on your eye
  • Showers are fine, but keep water, soap, and shampoo out of your eye

Week 3-4 weeks after surgery:

  • Use your prescribed eye drops exactly as directed
  • Continue to protect your eye from injury or rubbing
  • The eye should be more comfortable, with less redness and irritation
  • Your doctor may monitor your need for glasses
  • You can usually return to light daily activities such as walking and light household tasks
  • Still avoid swimming, dusty environments, and vigorous exercise.

Frequently asked questions about glaucoma surgery?

The decision to have glaucoma surgery is ultimately between you, your family and your ophthalmologist. Factors to consider will be based on your individual diagnosis and the extent your condition.

Glaucoma surgery is usually recommended when eye drops or laser treatment are no longer controlling eye pressure effectively, or if glaucoma continues to progress.

Not everyone with glaucoma needs surgery. Your ophthalmologist will assess your eye pressure, optic nerve health, vision changes, and response to treatment before recommending surgery.

Fees will depend on the following factors:

  • Privately insured patients – Please check with your health fund whether your are covered for glaucoma surgery
  • Hospital costs – Please check with your health insurance fund
  • Out-of-pocket costs – We will provide you with a written estimate for the surgeon
  • Anaesthetic costs – Anaesthetists charge different fees, we provide you with the contact details of the Anaesthetist, so you can confirm fees in advance.

Glaucoma surgery is not usually painful. The eye is fully numbed during the procedure, and sedation helps you stay relaxed and comfortable.

After surgery, you may experience mild discomfort, scratchiness, or irritation for a few days. This is typically manageable with simple pain relief and prescribed eye drops.

Most glaucoma procedures take 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the type of surgery and whether it is combined with other procedures.

You should allow several hours at the hospital or day surgery centre to include preparation and recovery time.

Glaucoma cannot be cured, but surgery helps lower eye pressure to slow or prevent further damage.

In some cases, eye pressure may gradually rise again over time. Ongoing monitoring is essential, and some patients may still require eye drops or additional treatment in the future.

As with any surgery, glaucoma surgery comes with risks. Your ophthalmologist will discuss the risks with you in relation to your unique diagnosis.

Potential risks may include:

  • Infection
  • Bleeding
  • Inflammation
  • Changes in vision
  • Eye pressure that is too low or remains too high

Serious complications are uncommon, and your surgeon will discuss the risks and benefits with you before proceeding.

This will vary from person to person and is best assessed by your ophthalmologist.

This will vary from person to person and is best assessed by your ophthalmologist to when you can undertake specific activities such as:

  • Driving
  • Exercising – Swimming, lifting objects
  • Wearing eye makeup
  • Bending over
  • Return to work or other activities.
Glaucoma Surgery Melbourne

If you have any questions about glaucoma surgery, appointment bookings, location or opening hours, visit:

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