ISTENT For Glaucoma
INTRODUCTION
You have mild-to-moderate glaucoma. At this stage of the disease, your vision may be unaffected. But without proper treatment the pressure in your eye could increase and your optic nerve could be damaged. This pressure is caused by the buildup of fluid within your eye. Too much fluid raises pressure, which can cause gradual loss of vision. And while glaucoma moves slowly, its damage is irreparable. Once you start to lose vision, you can never get it back again.
The world’s tiniest medical device- the iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent- is 20,000 times smaller than the intraocular lens (IOL) your doctor will use to replace your cataracts. But the size of the iStent is only part of its story. By increasing your eye’s ability to drain fluid, this technology is designed to improve the aqueous outflow to safely lower your eye pressure.
In a US clinical study 68% of patients who received iStent remained medication-free at 12 months, while sustaining a target IOP of
ISTENT – MANAGE YOUR GLAUCOMA
IStent works like the stents used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. When blood vessels get clogged, a stent creates access to the vessel flow.
While it’s a highly innovative technology, how iStents works is elegantly simple:
- If you have glaucoma, over time your eye’s natural drainage system becomes clogged
- IStent creates a permanent opening through the blockage to improve the eye’s natural fluid outflow
- By improving the outflow of fluid in your eye, iStent is designed to lower and control the pressure within your eye
If iStent sounds like something you’re interested in, talk to your doctor. He or she will be able to answer other questions you might have.
If he or she agrees that iStent is right for you, they can implant it during your cataract surgery procedure. Once implanted, iStent will begin working to safely and effectively manage your eye pressure. And because of iStent, you may experience a reduction in glaucoma medications; but this will be at the discretion of your prescriber.
THE GLAUKOS ISTENT
Connecting Patients to the Promise of Micro Invasive Glaucoma Surgery
iStent is the first MIGS device that improves your eye’s natural fluid outflow to safely lower eye pressure by creating a permanent opening in the trabecular meshwork. Proven safe and effective, the iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass:
- Is safely implanted during cataract surgery.
- Spares important eye tissue that is often damaged by traditional surgeries.
- Does not limit treatment options that could help maintain your vision in the future.
iStent is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA. It is placed in your eye during cataract surgery and is so small that you won’t be able to see or feel it after the procedure is over. iStent is designed to create a permanent opening in your trabecular meshwork, and works continuously to improve the outflow of fluid from your eyes to help control eye pressure.
For patients with combined cataract and open-angle glaucoma, iStent reduces introcular pressure (IOP) by improving aqueous humor outflow. Inserted through a 1.5-mm corneal incision, iStent is the only FDA-approved device for the treatment of mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma.