LATEST INFORMATION-NEWS ABOUT GLAUCOMA AND US!!

The Gulf Coast Glaucoma Clinic has acquired a GDx machine.  This machine is one of the newer generation of scanning devices for the optic nerve and surrounding retinal tissues. It uses polarized light to indirectly determine the thickness of the nerve fiber layer in the retina.  The invisible layer can now actually be measured .  Our initial experience with this machine has been that it is often helpful and supportive.  There are other cases where the machine can't get a good reading or doesn't seem to match the clinical picture.  Therefore, we do not advocate the use of this machine as a substitute for visual fields or as a sole determinant of presence or absence of glaucoma.

---

THE GLAUCOMA WICK PROCEDURE and viscocanalostomy procedures are variations of a non-penetrating type of glaucoma surgery.  The advantages are that the eye wall is not completely penetrated and, therefore, there is less risk.  Our experience, and the experience of others, has been that this procedure is not as effective as a penetrating procedure that is the standard for glaucoma surgery at this time.  However, we are learning more about the outflow of fluid from the eye because of the advent of these procedures.  We predict that, over time, another alternative procedure may replace both standard penetrating surgery and the non-penetrating surgery herein described.

XALATAN WAS THE FIRST PROSTAGLANDIN DRUG to be introduced into the United States market for the treatment of glaucoma.  Since that time, Travatan and Lumigan have appeared.  These drugs are all in the same class of drugs called prostaglandins.  Another drug, Rescula, is classified as a prostaglandin, but does not seem to be as effective.  There is much competition between drug companies making these drugs, and many studies are currently being performed to see if one of the drugs in this group is better that the others.  Time will tell, but for now, we generally feel that each of these drugs has similar efficacy.  The side effect profile of each of these drugs is interestingly different.  If one of the drugs was effective, the others are likely to effective as well, but less or different side effects may be experienced.