Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital, a major eye care chain in the country, today launched the 'single-pass four-throw pupilloplasty', an innovative treatment modality for glaucoma.
"Various techniques have been described for pupil reconstruction, and 'single-pass four-throw' or SFT, is one of the newer techniques that can be employed for pupilloplasty," Dr Swati Bhattacharya, Medical Director at Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital here told reporters while announcing the launch.
Describing the technique invented by Dr Amar Agarwal, chairman and managing director of Dr Agarwal's Group of Eye Hospitals as a "medical breakthrough", she said this will work as an effective method to treat closed angle glaucoma.
The treatment technique can be used in both early and advanced closed angle glaucoma cases, she said.
Speaking about the technique, Dr Bhattacharya said "the biggest advantage of single pass four throw pupilloplasty is that, unlike conventional methods like medication, laser and surgery, it addresses the root cause of the condition."
"SFT opens up the angle structures thereby allowing the aqueous (fluid in the eye) to flow freely, which otherwise would have stayed within and build pressure in the eye. Other merit is that it is simple, effective and safe," she said.
In SFT, the iris position is corrected by releasing the iris from the angles where the fluid drains, she said.
The method has been found to give better outcome as compared to laser treatment and also serves as an added advantage in treating patients with high eye pressure due to closed angles by iris tissue.
"The surgery is very simple and takes only 10 to 15 minutes. The first case under this innovative treatment was done in April this year and since then we have successfully treated as well as delivered clear vision to more than 40 glaucoma patients at our hospitals in Chennai, Karnataka and Hyderabad," said Dr Chhanda Ghosh, surgeon at the hospital's cataract and retina department.
National Programme for Control of Blindness says glaucoma is the third major cause of blindness in India.
Speaking about the prevalence of glaucoma in the city, glaucoma expert Dr Pallavi Raj said "after cataract, glaucoma is second most common eye disease observed in the city. Out of every 10 patients who consult us, two of them suffer from glaucoma. As damage caused by glaucoma is irreversible, early detection is the only solution to prevent the morbidity the condition can bring."
Introduction of SFT as a treatment for glaucoma has not only come as a relief for patients suffering from the disease, but also as a boon for the eye care industry as a whole, she said.
"It is an accepted treatment for adults as well as children who suffer from the condition. In one-time surgical intervention, it does not require further medication or prolonged post treatment care. As the cause is addressed, the treatment ensures that glaucoma doesn't relapse," she added.
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