Treatment for several types of glaucoma including open-angle and narrow-angle glaucoma is called filtration surgery, also called Trabeculectomy It is often performed on patients who have not responded well to medication or laser treatment. Filtration surgery reduces the pressure within the eye.

Filtration surgery is for those:

What to expect on surgery day:

After arriving at the Cape Eye Hospital you will be checked in and a sedative may be offered to help you relax. You will then be prepared for surgery. The area around your eye will be cleaned.

Local anaesthetic will be used to numb your eye. In some cases general anaesthetic will be used. When your eye is completely numb, an eyelid holder will be placed between your eyelids to keep you from blinking during the procedure.
Your doctor will create a tiny new channel between the inside of your eye and the outside of your eye. A small section of tissue will be removed, creating a channel, to allow fluid to pass through the blocked drainage network onto the white (sclera) of the eye. The incision will be closed with small stitches and covered with the thin outer tissue of the eye, called the conjunctiva. Blood vessels in the conjunctiva will carry the draining fluid away.

Your eye pressure will be checked directly after your procedure and drops may be prescribed to alleviate any soreness or swelling inside the eye. You are advised to go home and relax for the rest of the day.

Follow-up visits are necessary to monitor your eye pressure. It may take a few weeks to see the full pressure-lowering effect of this procedure, and adjustments may need to be made to the filter during this period.