Glaucoma laser treatment introduced at GPHC

Mar 08, 2015 News

– As Glaucoma Week 2015 begins today
As the world celebrates strides made in the treatment of glaucoma, Guyana is making its own strides as the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) introduces laser treatment for glaucoma.
The announcement comes as Glaucoma Week is celebrated worldwide from today, March 8 until this Saturday, March 14.
According to a release from the hospital, the laser treatment will be for Open Angle Glaucoma through a procedure known as Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT).
In Guyanese patients, Open Angle Glaucoma is the most common form of the disease with Afro-Guyanese being more prone to develop this type of glaucoma. GPH further said that glaucoma in Afro-Guyanese patients is usually severe and more difficult to treat.
The introduction of laser treatment is a big achievement for the public healthcare system, the hospital stated.
Over the past four years, enhanced glaucoma service had been provided by the GPH Eye Clinic. Those surgeries followed the addition of Dr. Shailendra Sugrim, the first Guyanese ophthalmologist to specialize in glaucoma.
According to the GPH release, there are many ways to treat Open Angle Glaucoma and patients at the hospital have been exposed to two common methods over the past few years. These methods are medications in the form of eye drops and glaucoma surgery. “With the addition of laser treatment, open angle glaucoma patients will now have a third option for treatment,” the hospital said.
However, GPH said that laser treatment is not recommended for all glaucoma patients. Hence, patients need to be carefully selected by the glaucoma specialist to determine whether they meet the criteria for treatment.
“This type of treatment is a practical alternative to using drops and success depends on the patient’s profile and ability to respond to the treatment,” GPH added.
Further, besides Open Angle Glaucoma, the specialized laser equipment can also treat Closed Angle Glaucoma. The latter form is less common in Guyana.
GPH said too that the laser machine has the capability to treat posterior capsular opacity, a complication that causes blurred vision in patients who had undergone cataract surgery.
Meanwhile, in observance of World Glaucoma Week, the GPH and the Ministry of Health will be hosting public screening events.
According to the release, the hospital is working in collaboration with the ministry and other organisations including the Guyana Vision 2020 Committee to host a screen exercise on Thursday March 12.
The event will allow the general public to have their eyes checked for glaucoma by trained ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses and optometry students.
A booth will be set up on the Fogarty’s ground floor and vision testing, eye pressure testing and examination of the eye nerves will be available from 10:00hrs to 15:00hrs.
“The exercise is intended to provide an opportunity for members of the public who have never had their eyes checked for glaucoma to do so free of cost,” GPH said.
World Glaucoma Day 2015 is being held under the theme “B.I.G. – Beat Invisible Glaucoma”. According to GPH, the campaign was chosen as worldwide many people suffer from glaucoma without knowing it.

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