Eye surgeons Dr. Robert Lehmann and Dr. Timothy Young of Lehmann Eye Center provide the iStent® Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent* as a treatment option to reduce eye pressure for patients with both cataracts and glaucoma.

“We have been using this technology for almost a year now and are happy to report that it has helped many patients to reduce or eliminate their use of glaucoma drops,” said Dr. Lehmann.

The iStent is FDA-approved for use in conjunction with cataract surgery to reduce eye pressure in adult patients with mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma currently being treated with glaucoma medicine. In clinical trials, iStent has been shown to safely reduce eye pressure, which is the primary cause of open-angle glaucoma.

“This is great news for people who have both a cataract and glaucoma,” said Dr. Young. "The eye drops used to treat glaucoma can be difficult to administer and expensive. With iStent, many patients will need less medicine to control their eye pressure and some may not need prescription eye drops at all.”

The iStent is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA and is placed in a patient’s eye during cataract surgery.

“It is so small you are unable to see or feel it after the procedure is done," said Dr. Lehmann. "Although you won’t even know iStent is there, it will be working to help reduce your eye pressure.”

Implanting the iStent does not significantly extend the length of time a patient spends in surgery and has a similar safety profile to cataract surgery alone.

Studies have shown that more than 90% of patients do not comply with their ocular medication dosing regimens and nearly 50% discontinue taking their medications before six months.

“This can be a serious problem," said Dr. Young. "When pressure in the eye is out of control, it can increase the risk for permanent vision loss. I consider iStent an important advancement in protecting against vision loss for my glaucoma patients.”

If you are interested in learning more about this technology, call Lehmann Eye Center today at 936-569-8278. For additional information about the iStent, make an appointment with Lehmann Eye Center or visit glaukos.com/istent.

* The iStent® Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent was developed by Glaukos Corporation, a privately held ophthalmic company located in Laguna Hills, Calif., that is dedicated to researching and developing microtechnologies to improve glaucoma therapy. The iStent is intended to improve natural physiological aqueous outflow and reduce intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma patients.