How Is Glaucoma Treated? Glaucoma treatment may include prescription eye drops, laser, microsurgery, implants and new emerging treatments. Eye drops for glaucoma: These either reduce the formation of fluid in the front of the eye or increase its outflow. Side effects of glaucoma drops may include allergy, redness of the eyes, brief stinging or visual blurring, and irritated eyes. Some glaucoma medications may affect the heart and lungs. Be sure to tell your doctor about any glaucoma medication you are currently taking or are allergic to. Laser surgery for glaucoma: Laser surgery for glaucoma slightly increases the outflow of the fluid from the eye in open-angle glaucoma or eliminates fluid blockage in angle-closure glaucoma. Types of laser surgery for glaucoma include trabeculoplasty, in which a laser is used to pull open the trabecular meshwork drainage area; iridotomy, in which a tiny hole is made in the iris, allowing the fluid to flow more freely; and cyclophotocoagulation, in which a laser beam treats areas of the ciliary body, reducing the production of fluid. Microsurgery for glaucoma: In an operation called a trabeculectomy, a new channel is created to drain the fluid, thereby reducing intraocular pressure that causes glaucoma. Sometimes this form of glaucoma surgery fails and must be redone. For some patients, a glaucoma implant is the best option. Other complications of microsurgery for glaucoma include some temporary or permanent loss of vision, as well as bleeding or infection. Drainage implants: Another type of operation, called drainage implant surgery, may be an option for people with secondary glaucoma or for children with glaucoma. Drainage implant surgery takes place in a hospital or an outpatient clinic, and consists of a doctor inserting a small silicone tube in your eye to help drain aqueous humor. After the surgery, you'll wear an eye patch for 24 hours and use eyedrops for several weeks to fight infection and scarring. New Technologies: There are a number of minimally invasive treatments which are beginning to establish themselves as viable alternative to traditional therapies. (http://www.glaucoma.org/ treating/advances.php)