WK Eye Institute surgeons Christopher Shelby, MD, and Wyche T. Coleman III, MD, are the first in our region to offer the iStent® Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stent as a treatment option to reduce eye pressure for patients who have both cataracts and glaucoma.

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

Studies have shown that more than 90% of patients with glaucoma do not comply with their ocular medication dosing regimens and nearly 50% discontinue taking their medications before six months, which can lead to serious problems, including vision loss. 

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