Yttrium alumninium garnet. This is a synthetic gemstone used to create the specific wavelength of light for the laser procedure.

You will use steroid eye drops (your doctor will give you a prescription) 3x/day for 5 days. You will see your doctor in 1-2 weeks to recheck your eye pressure and to dilate your pupil (to check if the laser procedure is working.)

Some people will feel brief “twinges” of discomfort during the laser procedure. There is rarely a small amount of bleeding inside the eye, but this resolves quickly. Some people will have pain with light for a few days after the procedure. We will give you eye drops to prevent this from occurring. There is also…Read more

The laser iridotomy is performed in the laser room at the Ambulatory Surgery Center. You do not need to go to the operating room. You do not need any blood work or a medical exam prior to the procedure. You will be awake, but your eye will be numbed. The laser procedure is brief –…Read more

There is a small risk (1-2%/year) that you will develop angle closure, and severe eye pain and vision loss. Once angle closure develops, it is hard to treat. There is also the chance that the angle will close slowly and cause scarring, and slowly increase pressure in the eye. There is often no pain with…Read more

Yes. We can use a laser beam (the YAG laser) to make a microscopic hole in the iris (the colored part of the eye.) The hole (iridotomy) creates a “release valve” and creates an alternate channel for fluid to flow through the eye. The iridotomy decreases the risk of having angle closure and vision loss…Read more

No. Anatomically narrow angles can cause high pressure in the eye (often referred to as glaucoma) if the angle becomes closed. Anatomically narrow angles are a risk factor for glaucoma, but it does not mean that you have glaucoma now.

If the angle closes, then fluid is made inside the eye, but it cannot drain out. Imagine what would happen if you kept inflating a basketball after it was already filled with air. Inside the eye, if the angle closes, then fluid will build up in the eye – causing increased eye pressure. If the…Read more

The eye is a hollow structure, and is filled with fluid, which inflates the eye and gives the eye its shape. Fluid is made inside the eye, and drains out of the eye at a relatively constant rate, so the pressure of the eye remains stable. However, in some people, especially people who are farsighted,…Read more