iStent Helping People See Clearly скачать в хорошем качестве

iStent Helping People See Clearly

More than two million Americans suffer from glaucoma. One of the most serious eye diseases, it can lead to vision loss and blindness. “Glaucoma is a disease of the eye where you typically have a higher than normal pressure. This pressure causes damage to the optic nerve. If you have damage to this optic nerve, then you start losing your vision,” says Dr. Michael Collins, who is an ophthalmologist on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System. The turned-up pressure is caused by too much fluid in the eye. The most common treatment is medicated eye drops, which either decreased fluid or help it exit quicker. “The first few drops that were used were not that great and the ones we have now are okay but they all have side effects,” says Dr. Collins. Now glaucoma patients have a new option, one that may help them hold onto their vision. It’s a tiny fix. Using the smallest FDA approved implant, surgeons place a tiny tube into the eye, which gives fluid an exit route. “This is a device called the iStent. It’s the smallest FDA medical device that’s ever been approved. If you looked out a penny and took out the two numbers on the date of the penny, it’s smaller than those two numbers. It’s currently approved to be performed in conjunction with cataract surgery. Using the same incision, the stent is placed in the spongy network at the edge of the iris. “The stent actually goes into that meshwork and creates a permanent opening. It’s suture-less and it’s painless and you can’t even see it after the surgery,” says Dr. Collins. The iStent doesn’t cure glaucoma or reverse existing damage, but this eye-opening procedure keeps the condition from getting worse and eliminates the need for drops. View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/ Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Visit leememorial.org