Question:
I experience inflammation and soreness of the eyeliids since beginning treatment with alphagan.I am also onXalatan eye drops.
Answer:
New shunt doesn’t require a bleb, won’t allow cells to stick
A 24-karat Gold MicroShunt that does not require a bleb and won’t allow cells to stick to it, has received the CE Mark, said officials of SOLX (Boston). An application for an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) is underway, according to company officials. The shunt has been implanted in 220 eyes of patients enrolled in pilot clinical studies.
The patients had been diagnosed with open angle or refractory glaucoma. No patients worsened following implantation of the shunt which officials called “revoluntary” because it uses the eye’s natural pressure differential between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space to reduce IOP.
Several surgeons, including Ike Ahmed, M.D., Toronto, and Robert Kershner, M.D., Boston, spoke in support of the device. Dr. Kershner said a 4-mm incision is required to insert the preloaded, 0.44 micron-thick, 5.8 mm long, and 2 mm wide shunt. It rests permanently in the suprachoroidal space and patients cannot feel it, according to company officials. The device has 19 channels to facilitate aqueous flow and more channels can be opened by SOLX’s DeepLight 790 Titanium Sapphire Laser while the Gold MicroShunt remains in the eye.
