Glaucoma Surgery

The cornea is the clear surface of the front of the eye and whose transparency is essential for good vision. Glaucoma surgery to reduce eye pressure is sometimes the only remaining option for some patients. However, glaucoma surgery carries a small risk of damaging the cells of the inner surface or the cornea, containing endothelial cells that are essential for maintaining corneal transparency. In extreme cases, damage to the endothelial cells requires a corneal transplant to restore normal vision. Hence, preservation of endothelial cell function continues to be a major goal of eye surgery.

In this research, the quantity and anatomy of corneal endothelial cells will be determined for the various different surgical procedures used in glaucoma. Our goal is to determine which procedure is the least harmful to corneal cell health and identify risk factors that lead to greater cell loss after surgery.

Images of a trabeculectomy and shunt. Two surgical methods of reducing elevated IOP