The doctors at Costello Eye Physicians and Surgeons have been using iStent Inject and the predecessor iStent as a MIGS (Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery) procedure for a few years now. We were the first to implement the device in the Mohawk Valley. It is one of several MIGS procedures performed by our doctors.
If you are having cataract surgery and are also treated for glaucoma, you may be a candidate for one of the MIGS procedures to avoid additional drops or glaucoma surgeries and possibly stop taking one or more of your existing drops. Talk to our doctors about which of these procedures may be best for you.
The iStent inject® Advantage
The iStent inject® is intended to reduce intraocular pressure safely and effectively in patients diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma, pseudo-exfoliative glaucoma, or pigmentary glaucoma.
The iStent® is the smallest medical device ever approved by the FDA and is designed to treat mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma during cataract surgery procedures. The iStent® may help reduce a patient’s medication burden, reducing the cost, inconvenience, or side effects of using eye drops.
The iStent® is inserted ab interno through a small temporal clear corneal incision, bypassing the trabecular meshwork, and placed in Schlemm’s canal at the lower nasal quadrant.
The iStent ® is a Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) approved to be done in conjunction with 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.
iStent inject works by creating two bypasses or openings inside the front part of your eye to its natural drainage pathway to restore your eye’s natural ability to drain fluid. will be at the discretion of the eye care professional managing your glaucoma.
iStent works like the stents used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. When blood vessels get clogged, a sent creates access to vessel flow. iStent creates a permanent opening through the blockage to improve the eye’s natural outflow. Restoring this mechanism lowers and controls pressure within the eye.
Prioritizing Safety and Outcomes
Putting the primary emphasis on maximizing benefits and minimizing long-term complications, iStent inject® is designed to support optimal outcomes after cataract surgery. In both the US pivotal study and worldwide commercial use, iStent inject® is proven to have an excellent safety profile, comparable to cataract surgery alone. It also offers much more:
- Micro-invasive and astigmatically-neutral
- Utilizes the conventional outflow pathway
- Leaves natural anatomy intact, preserving the potential for future treatment options, including drug delivery devices
- Minimally traumatic to delicate eye tissue and spares conjunctival tissue
- Reduces risk of hypotony by utilizing the natural episcleral venous pressure
- Offers postoperative care profile similar to cataract surgery
- 2 very small titanium stents (<0.5mm)
- Only in combination with cataract surgery
- Mild to Moderate primary open angle glaucoma and secondary open angle glaucoma
- Offers post operative care similar to cataract surgery