Why Choose Dr Xu for your Glaucoma Care
World-class Glaucoma Care right on Staten Island!
Superior Training
Dr. Xu is one of the only two fellowship-trained glaucoma specialists in Staten Island. She performs medical and surgical treatment for glaucoma, including glaucoma laser, micro-invasive glaucoma surgery, and incisional glaucoma surgery. With years of focused medical and surgical training, Dr. Xu possess a unique knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the fluid drainage system in the eye.
Expertise in Surgical Management
Laser Therapies:
- Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
- Laser Iridotomy (LI)
- Laser Iridoplasty
Incisional Glaucoma Surgery
- Trabeculectomy
- Glaucoma Drainage Implants
Incisional Glaucoma Surgery
- iStent inject®/ Hydrus® microstent
- Kahook Dual Blade® goniotomy
- OMNI® canaloplasty
- Trabectome
- Xen-Gel® stent
- Gonioscopy-Assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy (GATT)
- Micropulse CPC
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that progressively damage the optic nerve. If not detected and managed early, glaucoma lead to irreversible vision loss and potential blindness. Unfortunately, most forms of glaucoma develop with no pain or noticeable visual symptoms, making comprehensive eye exams an essential tool for protecting your eyes.
What are the various types of glaucoma?
There are different ways of categorizing glaucoma. By angle anatomy, there is Open versus Narrow Angle Glaucoma. Alternatively, if we can separate the types by intraocular eye pressure (IOP) to high pressure glaucoma vs normal tension glaucoma. Or, by potential causes, into primary glaucoma (causes unknown), pigmentary glaucoma, exfoliative glaucoma, traumatic glaucoma, steroid-induced glaucoma, and neovascular glaucoma.
Primary open angle glaucoma, or POAG, is characterized by an open angle (the area where the aqueous fluid drains into the trabecular meshwork). Angle closure glaucoma comprises a significant proportion of glaucoma diagnosed in Asians. If you are farsighted or if you have a family history of sudden vision loss from glaucoma, you may be at risk for acute angle closure. This happens when the iris clogs the angle where the aqueous usually drains. This leads to a sudden increase in eye pressure and acute damage to the optic nerve. Persistent narrow angle causes scarring at where fluid is drained in the eye thus increases risk of chronic angle closure glaucoma. Cataract surgery (removing the lens) may be the right choice in some cases for patients with persistent narrow angle.
What Causes Glaucoma?
The exact cause of glaucoma is unknown. Some suggest higher intraocular pressure put stress on the optic nerve, causing optic nerve degeneration, which then cause vision field loss. In other types of glaucoma, particularly, the normal tension variant, where the intraocular pressure has not been documented to be “elevated,” there are theories suggesting it is related to vasospasm or inadequate blood supply to the optic nerve, causing optic nerve damage, which then causes visual field loss. There are many types of glaucoma. In general, the term glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve, causing optic nerve dysfunction.
Glaucoma risk factors:
- Age: Risks is higher in those over 60, but there are subtypes such as pigmentary glaucoma that affects young people.
- Family history: Genetics plays a role in glaucoma. If one has a sibling or a parent with glaucoma, one is at a higher risk of developing glaucoma.
- Medical conditions: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease have been identified as associated diseases in various studies.
- Blunt Trauma, like a blow to the face or eye, can damage the fluid drainage structure in the eyes and increase immediate and future risk to develop glaucoma.
- Anatomy: Anatomical factors like thin cornea (either born-with or post LASIK surgery) or high near or far-sightedness, may increase risk of glaucoma.
- Steroid: Longer than two weeks use of steroid containing eye drops, skin creams, inhalers, or by mouth medications may increase eye pressure in some people causing steroid-induced glaucoma.
Dr Xu understands the struggles patients go through with taking various glaucoma medications and well-familiar with their side effects. Through a holistic approach to medicine, Dr Xu treats each patient as a whole rather than a single symptom. She uses evidence-based, cutting edge research to guide her glaucoma treatment in Staten Island. We create a personalized comprehensive glaucoma plan for each patient, balancing pressure lowering and decreasing side effects. Our approach is appropriately conservative when needed, yet not afraid to recommend glaucoma laser or surgery when appropriate.
Preserving and optimizing your vision is our shared value.
