A laser peripheral iridotomy is performed if Dr. Stancey determines you have narrow-angles or angle-closure glaucoma. This involves making a small hole in the iris (colored part of the eye) with a laser to prevent glaucoma damage.
This allows the fluid in the eye to escape from an alternate route, preventing an emergent angle-closure attack, which is potentially blinding. This is done in the office and takes just a few minutes to perform. Most individuals respond well to this procedure, but others do not. Your response is determined by the type of narrow-angle glaucoma you have and the basic make-up of your eye. We ask you to stay about an hour after your procedure to check your eye pressure. This is because the pressure in the eye can go up after the laser treatment. This is the greatest risk for this procedure. If it does occur, you may require medications to lower the pressure, which will be administered in the office. Most people notice some blurring in their vision after the laser. This clears within a few hours in most individuals. The chance of your vision being permanently affected from this laser procedure is very, very small.
Other rare risks from this procedure include inflammation in the eye, cataract formation, bleeding, double vision, scar formation between the iris and lens of the eye (synechia) that prevents the pupil from moving correctly, and late closure of the iridotomy that requires repeat laser surgery to open the hole again.
