The time to talk about this condition is now
Glaucoma is a condition that anyone can develop; however the incidence increases with age.
“Glaucoma” is the overarching name given to a list of eye conditions where there is vision loss due to optic nerve damage. The loss of sight from Glaucoma is usually gradual and a considerable amount of peripheral (side) vision may be lost before there is awareness of any problem at all.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of avoidable blindness worldwide and with 300,000 Australians affected, the time to talk about this condition is now.
With the 10th annual World Glaucoma Week commencing on March 8, this is an opportunity to spread the word and raise awareness on an international scale.
The Lions Eye Institute’s is a global leader in translational glaucoma research that has resulted in a number of surgical innovations. Two examples are the Xen® Gel Stent and the Virna Glaucoma Drainage Device (GDD). Both reduce intraocular pressure in the eye – the biggest risk factor of glaucoma. Xen® Gel Stent has been implanted in more than 100,000 patients worldwide. Virna GDD has been implanted in more than 1,000 patients in Indonesia.
The Lions Eye Institute is also currently working as a member of the National Health and Research Council Partnership project, to undertake research Targeting At-Risk Relatives of Glaucoma cases for Early Treatment (The TARRGET study).
This study involves LEI screening first degree family members of a patient with diagnosed Glaucoma, to determine if they too have the condition and working to then determine the relationship between genetics and conditions such as Glaucoma.
