Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty
Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a laser surgical procedure used to help lower intraocular pressure (IOP) of some patients with open-angle glaucoma. SLT is used to treat the eye’s drainage system, known as the trabecular meshwork—the mesh-like drainage canals that surround the iris. Treating this area of the eye’s natural drainage system improves the flow of fluid out of the eye, helping to lower the pressure.
The laser used in SLT works at very low power levels. It treats specific cells selectively, leaving untreated portions of the trabecular meshwork intact. For this reason, SLT, unlike other types of laser surgery, may be safely repeated many times.
SLT is performed in the clinic and usually takes about five to ten minutes. Most patients can resume normal daily activities the day after laser surgery but must continue to take eyedrops in order to control and maintain their IOP. However, SLT might lessen the amount of medication needed.
SLT treatment is available at our clinic enabling our doctors to perform the laser within our premises. This offers our patients convenience and the assurance that, given our doctors’ experience in diagnosis and managing glaucoma, our patients can receive the most appropriate treatment for their condition.
