Experts in the glaucoma community are raising awareness of how new technology is improving disease treatment.

Reporting from the 2022 Glaucoma 360 New Horizons Forum, Barbara Wirostko, M.D., FARVO was excited to introduce new developments in glaucoma devices that were to be discussed in depth during the Forum on February 11. 

Wirostko, an ophthalmology professor at the University of Utah and the CEO and co-founder of Qlaris Bio, was co-moderator of the panel discussion “Expanding Beyond the Horizon with Devices in Glaucoma” with her colleague Shawn Lin, M.D. The panel also included guest-speakers from: 

• Ace Vision
• IRIDEX
• MicroOptx
• OcuFLOW
• Professor Robert N. Weinreb, M.D., discussing his stealth company Eye On Track
• ViaLase
• Gore

Helping Both Patients and Clinicians

Wirostko says what’s most exciting is that these new devices enable ophthalmologists to treat glaucoma earlier and lower intraocular pressure (IOP) less invasively than other technologies.

She says these new devices have allowed clinicians to be more innovative yet, at the same time, treat the disease earlier because of the increased patient safety the devices provide. While traditional treatments like tubes will always be needed, new devices like unique shunting mechanisms and spaces, polymers, and lasers (addressing both trabecular meshwork and ciliary body) can now be offered earlier to patients. This can be done in combination with surgery (cataracts especially) to better control disease progression.

From her own clinical experience, Wirostko believes these devices may even allow a flattening of typical IOP spikes, as she’s seen with advancements in at-home IOP monitors—in particular, iCare HOME. She’s very optimistic about the effectiveness of new lasers and combination procedures on stabilizing IOP. “It really makes a difference.”

Wirostko says these daily IOP fluctuations are critical to address, especially early-morning spikes. These spikes may be a chief reason for glaucoma progression.

*Wirostko, B. (2022, February 23). VIDEO: New glaucoma devices Help treat disease earlier, less invasively [Video]. Healio. https://www.healio.com/news/ophthalmology/20220223/video-new-glaucoma-devices-help-treat-disease-earlier-less-invasively