This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Managing complications of glaucoma surgery requires foresight
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
NEW YORK — In order to manage complications of glaucoma surgery efficiently, surgeons must have access to the proper equipment and plan their follow-up schedule carefully, according to a speaker here.
At the New Frontiers in Glaucoma meeting, Richard Parrish II, MD, outlined what he said were the best approaches to avoiding and managing surgical complications in an office-based setting. He said most offices have the equipment needed to deal with complications of glaucoma filtering surgery, including a slit lamp, 20-gauge needles and sterile syringes.
Dr. Parrish said careful scheduling of surgery and follow-up is needed. For instance, he almost never removes sutures on the first postoperative day or on a Friday before a 3-day weekend, "unless I know I'm going to be in town and ready to deal with complications every day," he said.
He advised surgeons never to cut more than one trabeculectomy suture at a time. He said the surgeon should know where the tight suture is, based on operative notes or drawings, and cut that one first.
The New Frontiers in Glaucoma meeting was presented by Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.