Montgomery VA Eye Clinic receives new lasers for preserving Veterans’ eyesight

CAVHCS was the first in the Nation to offer Tele-glaucoma technology to Veterans with glaucoma to ensure our Veterans can access care when and where they need it. The TECS Eye care Team assesses a patient via telehealth at the CBOC and then completes video visits where eye providers collaborate and discuss options for treatment with the Veteran. Once a treatment plan is made, the eye care provider will begin treating the Veteran and may refer the Veteran to the ophthalmology team for laser or other treatment.

Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 7 Ophthalmologists, Drs. Arpita Bhasin and Manuj Kapur used one of the lasers to perform Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT), a procedure that reduces the pressure on the eyes associated with glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a disease that damages the optic nerve and is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. However, blindness from glaucoma can often be prevented with early treatment. Damage from glaucoma usually happens when fluid builds up in the front of the eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in the eye, damaging the optic nerve. This pressure is called intraocular pressure. SLT uses low-energy pulses to target the specific cells of the damaged eye, which activate the body’s natural healing mechanisms to work to rebuild them.

“The laser technology at CAVHCS allows our ophthalmologists to perform various services to treat glaucoma, retina and secondary cataract problems in our Veterans,” Dr. Manuj Kapur said. “The laser treatment is a minimally invasive procedure,” he added.

The VISN Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) partners with CAVHCS’ optometry team, Dr. Chris McNeal, to see Veterans via telehealth and in-person optometry exams. Patients who need higher-level care are then sent to the CRH eye care Team under the leadership of Dr. April Maa.  

“Based on these discussions, the Veteran and the ophthalmologist perform the laser in the clinic and continues to follow the patient. “The laser may help the Veteran control glaucoma by lowering the intraocular pressure. It is also a treatment option in Veterans that have a challenging time using their glaucoma eye drops on a daily basis,” Dr. Kapur said.

The most common treatment for glaucoma is prescription eye drops that lower the eye pressure and prevents damage to the optic nerve. If eye drops are prescribed for glaucoma, the drops must be used daily. Depending on the type of eye drop, you may need to use them up to 3 times a day.

“Multiple glaucoma laser trials have demonstrated that laser therapy may be as effective as medications in early glaucoma. Typically, most people can go back to their normal activities within a day after the glaucoma laser, and the intraocular pressure lowering effect occurs within four to six weeks,” said Dr. Kapur.