Glaucoma Treatment Lee County

If you are seeking the best glaucoma treatment in Lee County, the skilled doctors at Elmquist Eye Group offer the expertise you need.

With state-of-the-art technology, Dr. E. Trevor Elmquist and his associates, including Dr. Kate Wagner, partner, Dr. Nina Burt, Dr. Yasaira Rodriguez and Dr. Sarah Eccles-Brown, provide a full spectrum of eye care services in a comfortable and caring setting

E. Trevor Elmquist, DO, is a board certified ophthalmologist who has been selected as one of America’s Top Doctors in ophthalmology by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. He is recognized as one of the best ophthalmologists in Cape Coral and Fort Myers and among the top 1% of ophthalmologists in the nation.

From comprehensive eye exams to the diagnosis and treatment of everything from common vision problems to complex eye diseases like glaucoma, the Elmquist Eye Group team will provide you with the latest treatments to meet all of your eye care needs.

How We Detect Glaucoma

We utilize a variety of diagnostic tools to help us detect whether or not you have glaucoma — even before you have any symptoms. They include:

• Tonometry: Eye drops are used to numb the eye for this quick and painless test. Then your doctor will use a tool called a tonometer to measure the pressure within your eye.
• Pachymetry: The pachymeter is a small ultrasonic wave instrument that is used to measure the thickness of your cornea. Recent studies have shown that thin central corneas can be a strong predictor of developing glaucoma in patients with high intraocular pressure.
• Visual field test: This test measures your peripheral (side vision). It helps us determine if you have lost any peripheral vision, one of the primary indicators of glaucoma.
• Ophthalmoscopy: Your eye doctor uses an ophthalmoscope to look directly through the pupil at the optic nerve. The color and appearance can indicate whether any damage from glaucoma is present and how extensive it is. This is one of the most important tools for diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma.
• Gonioscopy: After numbing the eye, the doctor uses a diagnostic tool to determine if the angle between the iris and cornea is narrow and closed (a possible sign of angle-closure or acute glaucoma) or wide and open (a possible sign of open-angle, chronic glaucoma).

Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, usually because the fluid pressure inside the eye is too high. However, this is not always the case; some people have normal fluid pressure but still get glaucoma.

Damage caused to the optic nerve by glaucoma cannot usually be reversed. Eye drops, oral medications, laser surgery and conventional surgery in an operating room are the typical methods of preventing further damage.

The type of treatment or surgery your doctor recommends will depend on the type and severity of your glaucoma and the general health of your eye.

Early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma can minimize loss of vision before the disease becomes too advanced. For treatment options in Lee County, call Elmquist Eye Group at (239) 936-2020 to schedule an appointment.