MIGS in Sioux Falls, SD

MIGS, which stands for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, encompasses multiple methods to treat glaucoma for patients in any stage of the disease. The goal of MIGS is to reduce the overall eye pressure in the eyes and reduce or eliminate the need for glaucoma eye drops.  Procedures such as MIGS can also positively impact your lifestyle by minimizing the expense of routine eye pressure lowering medicines, increasing medication compliance, and improving your ocular surface health.  MIGS is a much safer and often more effective surgery for the majority of patients who suffer from mild to moderate glaucoma, which is why it is chosen more often by skilled cataract surgeons, like Dr. Alison R. Tendler. ART Vision most often uses the iStent to perform MIGS, but other options are available depending upon your specific need.   Learn more about these implants and our surgical techniques below, then contact ART Vision in Sioux Falls, SD to schedule your consultation with Dr. Tendler.

iStent – The iStent is a micro-bypass device that is used during MIGS to reduce an individual's optical pressure by creating a accessory pathway for fluid drainage in the eye.  Eye fluid, or aqueous, is produced and drained by the eye normally.  In glaucoma, the normal drainage pathway can become blocked or decrease its function, creating increased eye pressure.  Eye drops and procedures like MIGS can be use to help the fluid drain easier, thereby decreasing your eye pressure.  The iStent was approved by the FDA in 2012 for the treatment of glaucoma and is the smallest glaucoma treatment device ever to be used on an individual.

A board-certified ophthalmologist, like Dr. Alison Tendler, is the only vision professional equipped to determine whether or not you are a candidate for MIGS. As there are many types and degrees of severity with glaucoma, the type of treatment that will best control your symptoms will be unique to your diagnosis. During a consultation following a thorough eye exam, Dr. Tendler will create a customized treatment plan. The best candidates for MIGS are:

• 18 years of age or older
• Suffering from mild to moderate glaucoma
• Experiencing the symptoms of cataracts and glaucoma simultaneously
• Already on glaucoma medication
• Not receiving results from other treatment methods
• Desire less dependence upon glaucoma drops

MIGS will be performed as an outpatient procedure within our surgical facility. The technique could vary according to which form of MIGS is being performed. Before your procedure is initiated, numbing eye drops and an eye holder will be used to prepare your eyes for surgery. Additional types of sedation may be offered or recommended during the procedure. Because of the minimally invasive format of the procedure and the use of highly advanced technology, the entire procedure should only last a few minutes.  When combined with cataract surgery, the procedures will occur simultaneously, improving not only your vision, but helping to create a lifestyle freer from your glaucoma drops.

Your recovery will not be long or painful as MIGS procedures are designed to be minimally invasive. Dr. Tendler or a member of the ART Vision team will provide you with detailed aftercare instructions before and after your procedure. You should closely follow all of these instructions and be sure to schedule and attend each recommended follow-up appointment. During these visits, our team will monitor your healing and determine whether your glaucoma treatment plan should include additional procedures to further improve your vision and slow the progression of your disease, and how to manage your current glaucoma drops.

Thanks to advances in the visual health industry, traditional glaucoma surgery is no longer the only way to seek thorough treatment for the multiple stages of glaucoma. With MIGS, patients can attain enhance their lifestyle and reduce progression of glaucoma with a minimally invasive procedure that requires minimal downtime. ART Vision is proud to offer some of the most advanced procedures available to help our patients decrease or eliminate the need for drops and fight back against their glaucoma. Contact ART Vision in Sioux Falls, SD to schedule your consultation with Dr. Tendler and learn more about MIGS.  Let us help you continue to See the World Better and See Yourself Better.