Glaucoma Center of Michigan
Glaucoma Center of Michigan
The iStent® is a MIGS procedure approved to be done in conjunction with or without cataract surgery. The surgical procedure involves placement of multiple tiny titanium mini-stents through the trabecular meshwork and into Schlemm’s canal to enhance aqueous humor fluid outflow from the anterior chamber and lower intraocular pressure.
When the procedure is done combined with cataract removal and lens implantation, the surgeon introduces the iStent® inserter into the anterior chamber through the same corneal incision utilized for cataract surgery.
Although the iStent® is made of titanium, patients can safely undergo MRI scans in most circumstances; please contact our office with any questions or visit the iStent® MRI Safety page.
This is an outpatient procedure performed in an ambulatory surgery center. The surgery is usually done under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation.
Your doctor will want to examine you in the office the following day and you will be prescribed a regimen of postoperative drops for the next four to six weeks.
If the procedure is successful you can expect a decrease in the intraocular pressure and you possibly may come off some of your glaucoma medications. It takes about 6 to 8 weeks before the outcome of the procedure is known.