What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma and LASIK - What are the consequences of having glaucoma at such a young age?

• Hi, I am an 18 year old asian female who has a grandmother with glaucoma. Just recently (April) I had a "Red eye infection", and went to the optometrist right away. They ...show more

• Answer:

  Uncontrolled glaucoma is a contraindictation to LASIK surgery. (from the LASIK booklet my PRK surgeon provided to me). Would also depend on your corneal thickness and amount of ablation needed to improve your vision. You're catching a possible glaucoma early...which is a good thing. Keeping up with your eyedrops, and in close contact with your glaucoma specialist, will help to keep your eyes healthy from glaucomatous damage to your optic nerves. There are infants who are born with glaucoma, some children are diagnosed with it...many people of differing ages. Glaucoma is found more commonly in older people, but does occur in all ages. As for your question of going blind...if you keep up with your glaucoma medications, keep close follow up with your glaucoma specialist, you have a little less chance of losing any visual field than someone who didn't take their drops like they should or follow with their ophthalmologist. Bottom line...at your glaucoma consultation, ask the specialist about possible LASIK in the future, or if there are any other refractive procedures they can recommend. I know that my ophthalmologists in the office won't even perform a cataract surgery on a glaucoma patient unless the intraocular pressures are under control and have been for a period of 3-6 months with no signs of progression.