Surgical Retinotomy for the Treatment of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It is caused by persistently elevated intraocular pressure causing progressive visual field loss. While a number of conventional medical and surgical therapies exist, a significant number of patients fail to respond resulting in persistently elevated intraocular pressure and eventual blindness. While outflow from the eye primarily occurs through the front of the eye, there is an often overlooked pathway to remove fluid that is beneath the retina. Surgical removal of retina to create paths for outflow (surgical retinotomy) in areas damaged by glaucoma can provide access to this alternative outflow pathway thereby reducing intraocular pressure and halting the vision loss.