Edited by: Prof David C. Musch
It has not been that long ago when a patient diagnosed with glaucoma was treated first with medications, and if IOP control was inadequate or visual field progression took place, the traditional consideration for further treatment was an incisional procedure, trabeculectomy. Laser procedures, such as argon or selective trabeculoplasty, have joined medications as options to consider for initial treatment, and external tube shunts like the Ahmed and Baerveldt devices have entered in as surgical options. All of the surgical options are accompanied by a lengthy set of potential complications that require vigilant follow-up and monitoring.
Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, or MIGS, have entered the surgical option list in recent years, with the promise of effective IOP reduction and fewer complications. Some MIGS procedures are even being considered as initial treatment for glaucoma to consider when cataract extraction is required, and one or several MIGS devices are then inserted during cataract surgery.
This series of articles is intended to familiarize the reader with the growing list of MIGS options for the ophthalmic surgeon to consider. Dr. Manjool Shah provides an overview of the MIGS options now available or being developed, and a group of experienced MIGS surgeons have contributed articles that will inform you of applications and outcomes of using specific MIGS devices.
We wish to thank these authors for sharing their knowledge and insights. You will find this series of articles very useful as you consider how best to manage glaucoma in your practice.
This series was published in Eye and Vision.