Glaucoma, especially primary open-angle glaucoma or POAG, is one of the scariest eye diseases. Its nickname is the silent thief of sight because it develops for a long time without symptoms.
Then, suddenly it causes permanent vision loss. But, you don’t have to lose your vision if you develop glaucoma.
A regular eye exam schedule allows your eye doctor to tell if glaucoma is developing. If they know you have it, they can provide immediate treatment.
Treatment could save your eyesight. One of the best glaucoma treatments is the OMNI® Surgical System.
The ophthalmologists at Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare regularly use the OMNI® Surgical System to help patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) keep their sight.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that causes eye pressure, also called intraocular pressure or IOP, to rise. Blocks in the drainage networks in your eyes raise IOP.
These drains get clogged and blocked, preventing eye fluid from draining. If you have POAG, the most common type of glaucoma, this process happens over an extended period.
Eventually, your IOP gets high enough to press on your optic nerve, which is when symptoms appear. If there is pressure on your optic nerve, it can easily be damaged.
Damage to your optic nerve prevents light signals from reaching your brain, resulting in vision loss. Once your optic nerve gets damaged, there is no way to heal it, and any vision loss is permanent.
What is the OMNI® Surgical System
The OMNI® Surgical System is a combination of glaucoma treatments performed simultaneously. When you have POAG, there are three potential blocks in your drainage network.
First is your trabecular meshwork. It’s a spongy tissue that funnels fluid out of your eye into Schlemm’s Canal.
The canal is a reservoir that flows into your distal collector channel, which ultimately carries fluid out of your eye. All three points can get blocked and increase IOP.
It’s challenging to determine which of these points is causing your IOP to climb. Other glaucoma treatments target one of these points per treatment, hoping to treat the block as quickly as possible.
The OMNI® Surgical System targets all three potential points in one procedure. It increases your chances of successful treatment on the first attempt.
It uses one minimally invasive glaucoma surgery or MIGS and two other processes without any implants to reduce IOP. The goal of the treatment is to reopen the drains in your eyes so fluid can flow out naturally.
Another unique feature of the OMNI® Surgical System is that it can be a standalone procedure. Other MIGS procedures only happen during cataract surgery. But the OMNI® Surgical System is not limited by other procedures.
How Does The OMNI® Surgical System Reduce IOP?
During the procedure, your surgeon targets the potential clogged points in your drainage network to reopen them so fluid can drain. They use one tool to perform two procedures that target all three possible pinch points.
The OMNI® Surgical System is an outpatient procedure that takes a few minutes to complete. Once it’s over, your surgeon will send you home to recover, and you’ll have a follow-up appointment the day after. The recovery period is about the same as cataract surgery.
For a couple of days after, you need to rest. After that, you can go back to your everyday routine.
Who Can Get The OMNI® Surgical System Glaucoma Treatment?
The OMNI® Surgical System is for adults who have POAG. It can coincide with cataract surgery or be a standalone procedure.
Other glaucoma treatments like eye drops and ointments can be expensive and difficult to remember to take. The OMNI® Surgical System permanently reduces IOP and ends your need for other treatments.
More Questions About The OMNI® Surgical System?
Call 1-800-309-2020 to schedule an appointment at Fichte, Endl & Elmer in Buffalo, NY, and check out more frequently asked questions from patients below! Relief from primary open-angle glaucoma could be one appointment away!
OMNI Patient FAQs
