Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 , the implant was an ahmed valve implant. It works by pumping the fluid from the eye. When fluid builds up, the eye pressure (IOP) goes up. The side effects from using long term steroid drops to the eye (pred) can cause the pressure to go up...causing glaucoma. Inflammation can also cause the pressure to go up. We have a catch 22 here...as we can go blind if we don't treat it...and the meds we have to take can also cause the pressure to go up. However, we have no choice but to treat the iritis/uveitis regardless to the side effects of our meds. Got off track here about the ahmed valve implant. When drops, to bring down pressure, no longer works, the treatment, at the time I had glaucoma, usually involved valve type implants. We have a special kind of uveitis (chronic inflammatory uveitis), and they have found that valve type implants have more success than other types of surgery for glaucoma which involve chronic inflammatory (trabeculectomy, laser, etc.). That said, there are now available different types of treatment for chronic uveitis and chronic IOP. It is now possible to have little tiny balls of med (steroid/IOP drops) inserted directly into the eye ball and can deliver a constant small dose of steroid to control uveitis. It seems to be better than just constant drops into the eye. This is done only on people who have chronic uncontrolled uveitis, when just drops to the eye, do not work any longer. I also had a vitrectomy after my glaucoma implant. This helped with the constant inflammation to the vitreous (center of the eye ball) and I was able to see better after this operation. My Rheumatologist prescribed the plaquenil. My opthalmalogist had me consider this medication also, so they know about it. They will set up appointments every 6 months to check for any side effects (retina) from the Plaquenil. This side effect is so rare on the low doses of Plaquenil that I hesitate to even mention it. Plaquenil can sometimes help with the arthritis. Below is a web site explain how the implant works. http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/glaucoma_valve.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Tim, There are many here that feel for you and your Mom and I hope her eye condition improves soon. As mentioned, the typical course of action in battling uveitis is with lots of steroid drops that are slowly tapered off. However, there are a few of us, like Connie and myself, who have experienced chronic uveitis and suffer other complications, like glaucoma. Like Connie mentioned, your mother's high IOP is a concern. Hopefully, that is under control now. However, steroid eye drops, like Pred Forte, can elevate the IOP. I hope you will be able to find some good ophthalmologists in your area. Your mother may need more then one specialist, perhaps a uveitis specialist and a glaucoma specialist. Good luck. --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make your homepage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Tim, it sounds like your mother is being treated properly. The dilation drops are used for a short while to break up any scar tissue that might be formed from the eye inflammation and when they see no inflammatory cells (through slit lamp exam) and when the IOP is in the normal range (think you said 16) for a couple of months they will taper and discontinue the dilation drops and the IOP drops. The pred drops have to be slowly tapered also. Like mentioned, she will have to be checked very closely for the high IOP. Glaucoma is painless and you can lose vision very fast. Yes, the steroid drops can cause cataract, however, we still have to use it for this type of eye disease or risk rapid blindness. There are no other options except those I mentioned. The plaquenil might not be an option for her....as she seems to be subject to another type of eye disease? (which might have something to do with the retina? just guessing here.) Your mom's experience with eye infammation sounds very similar to mine. It has been a long journey. Mine started in my late 30's, I'm 72 yrs old now. +Dave and I are the old " foggies " in the group. I know I put a couple of opthalmalogists, glaucoma specialist's children through college by the care they gave me! Some good doctors, some bad, some excellent. My first opthalmalogist learned through trial and error what was good and what was bad for me, but he learned his art too late to save me from glaucoma and the expense of so many vials of pred forte. Maybe his next uveitis patient will gain from our experience. A vitrectomy at an earlier age would have prevented a lot of pain and heart ache. I now have three excellent eye doctors (all different specialties) and finally have my uveitis and glaucoma under some control. Best wishes for your mom and you, Connie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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