Goniotomy is a surgical technique used to treat primary congenital glaucoma, in which a surgeon cuts the fibers of the eye's trabecular meshwork to let fluid, known as aqueous humor, flow more freely out of the eye and relieve pressure on the optic nerve. It is one of two similar simple, directed techniques of microsurgical dissection that mechanically disrupt the trabecular meshwork, the other being trabeculotomy, which is generally used instead of goniotomy when the cornea is not clear enough for the surgeon to see the anterior chamber angle needed to perform a goniotomy directly.
Facts
FAQs
Does goniotomy return a child's enlarged eye to its normal size?
No. It lowers the eye pressure and can halt or reverse optic nerve damage, but the eye stays enlarged.
No. By clearing the blockage to the outflow of fluid from the eye, goniotomy lowers the pressure inside it, which helps to stabilize the enlargement of the cornea and the stretching of the eye that often occur in congenital glaucoma. The size of the eye, however, will not return to normal. The main gain is for the optic nerve: once the fluid drains better, damage to the optic nerve is halted or reversed, and the child's visual acuity may improve after surgery.
Is goniotomy used for any condition other than congenital glaucoma?
Yes. It is also used for aniridia, uveitic glaucoma linked to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, maternal rubella syndrome and juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma.
Yes. Besides congenital glaucoma, goniotomies are commonly performed for aniridia, a condition in which the patient lacks a visible iris, for glaucoma of the uveitic kind associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, for maternal rubella syndrome, and for juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma. In aniridia the operation is done as a preventive measure, since 50 to 75 percent of patients with aniridia will develop glaucoma.
Connections
Treats
Source Glaucoma surgery (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Encyclopedia.com: Goniotomy
Encyclopedia.comDefinition: first descriptionQuote, Definition: first description
A goniotomy is a surgical procedure primarily used to treat congenital glaucoma, first described in 1938.
Glaucoma surgery (Wikipedia)
Goniotomy - Lead section
Glaucoma surgery is a type of eye surgery performed to treat glaucoma, a group of diseases which affect the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucoma_surgery, lead section
Glaucoma surgery is a type of eye surgery performed to treat glaucoma, a group of diseases which affect the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss.
Treats: Glaucoma, Lead: treats Glaucoma
Glaucoma surgery is a type of eye surgery performed to treat glaucoma, a group of diseases which affect the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss.
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.