Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian surgeons treated glaucoma using Endoscopic CycloPhotocoagulation (ECP) laser surgery, for the first time in the country.
ECP is a novel outpatient treatment-method effective in many types of glaucoma including the more common open-angle glaucoma and narrow-angle glaucoma.
In this procedure, the intra-ocular pressure is reduced by indulging the ciliary body, a small gland responsible for secreting aqueous humor (eye fluid).
According to Behrouz Kouchaki, an ophthalmologist, ECP is mainly effective in those unresponsive to available treatments (ALT and SLT), trabeculectomy and shunt.
The procedure can help treat trauma related glaucoma as well as the condition caused in individuals with positive history of corneal transplant.
According to press tv, Kouchaki said ECP can also be used in vitrectomy, detecting injuries in posterior chamber (behind the iris) and in front of the retina. It also is a great help in showing different parts of the globe during eye surgery to medical students.
He added that glaucoma is the main cause of blindness, affecting about 5.4 million individuals in the world.
Glaucoma is an eye disease which gradually and without warning leads to blindness by damaging the optic nerve. Elevated intra-ocular pressure is a risk factor for the condition; however, individuals with normal eye pressure can also lose vision due to glaucoma.
