The laser peripheral iridotomy procedure is usually completed in the office or as a brief outpatient procedure. Prior to the procedure, the pupil is often constricted with an eye drop medication known as Pilocarpine. The procedure itself is completed with the patient seated at the laser, and requires to sedation. usually, a lens is placed on the eye after topical anesthetic drops are applied to better control the laser beam. the entire procedure only takes a few minutes. the lens is then quickly removed from the eye, and vision will quickly return to normal. After the procedure, your eye surgeon may recommend anti-inflammatory eye drop medications for the next few days. A post-op visit will be scheduled. 

​LASER PERIPHERAL IRIDOTOMY

What are the potential complications? 

A laser peripheral iridotomy is an extraordinarily safe procedure. Complications, fortunately, are very rare. These potential complications include bleeding in the eye, inflammation in the eye, and transient pressure elevations. As such, most ophthalmologists will treat the patient with eye drop medications (following the procedure) to prevent these potential complications. 

FAQs

Does laser peripheral iridotomy reverse glaucoma? 

In general, glaucoma is not reversed by any procedure or medicine. the goal of treatment is either prophylaxis against the development of glaucoma or treatment of existing glaucoma. in either case, if an ophthalmologist recommends a laser peripheral iridotomy, he or she believes this procedure is appropriate for the prevention of, or treatment of, glaucoma. 

A Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) is performed almost exclusively for patients with narrow angles, narrow angle glaucoma. Aqueous fluid is made in the ​cilliary body of the eye. which it anatomically situated behind the iris. The aqueous fluid primarily escapes the eye by flowing between the lens and the iris of the eye, and then drains via the trabecular meshwork, which is located in the angle of the eye (where the front clear cornea meets the iris, essentially). If the flow of aqueous fluid to the drainage angle (trabecular meshwork) is obstructed by a forwardly bowed iris, the patient is said to have narrow angles. this condition may predispose one to an acute episode of angle closure glaucoma. If the angles are never acutely closed, but glaucoma is still present, the patient is diagnosed with narrow angle glaucoma. 

What is a LPI?

A.C.S CRICHTON, M.D. F.R.C.S.

B.A. FORD, M.D. F.R.C.S

Is the procedure painful?

The surface of the eye is numbed with topical anesthetics for this procedure, but the iris is not numbed for the procedure. Therefore, when the laser beam hits the iris to create the peripheral iridotomy, mild discomfort may occur. in general, only a few very brief episodes of slight discomfort are associated with this procedure. Also, there is absolutely no discomfort postoperatively in the great majority of cases. 

Laser peripheral iridotomy involves creating a tiny opening in the peripheral iris, allowing aqueous fluid to flow from behind the iris directly to the anterior chamber of the eye. this typically results in resolution of the forwardly bowed iris and thereby an opening up of the angle of the eye. The narrow or closed angle thus becomes an open angle!