Has SLT study shed new light on treating eye conditions? (C-100422)
Graham Clews reports on the potential impact of SLT, as a study finds it could reduce the need for traditional treatments for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
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Clinical practice
Drops first, laser treatment second, and surgery third. That’s been the traditional treatment pathway for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Around eight million prescriptions for medications, generally eye drops, are written in the UK each year for this condition and are often effective (Connor and Fraser, 2014). Around a third of UK patients need more than one type of drop (Moorfields, 2015) and long-term use is associated with significant side effects (Waterman et al, 2013).
Irritation, red eyes, iris colour changes, and hyperpigmentation of eyelid skin can all lead patients to leave drops unused, and non-compliance rates can be as high as 50% (NICE, 2017a).
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Related further reading
Patients will be paid £25 per session and all travel expenses will be reimbursed.
This study reports on an audit carried out in the emergency eye care (EEC) service at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
How frequently you should you carry out regular eye examinations on a patient with glaucoma?