Tube Shunt Surgery

Certain kinds of glaucoma will not respond to conventional glaucoma filtering surgery. In these cases, a glaucoma drainage device (GDD) is implanted, which channels aqueous fluid from the anterior chamber to a reservoir. In patients who have had multiple trabeculectomy surgeries and still are not in control, the drainage device is the next step.

The procedure is done in an operating room with mild sedation and local anesthesia so that the procedure will have little to no pain.

After an incision is made in the conjunctiva (outermost surface of the eye) the device is placed in the proper place. A tiny opening into the eye is made and a tube that is connected to the drainage device is inserted into the opening so that the aqueous fluid may be drained out of the eye. When the fluid is drained out of the eye, the eye pressure will decrease and your glaucoma will get under control.

The glaucoma drainage devices are most commonly used in patients with neovascular glaucoma, iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (ICE), corneal transplant patients with glaucoma, and uveitic glaucoma.