XEN ® Gel Stent for Glaucoma

Glaucoma drops can often cause droopy lids, redness, and loss of fat around your eyes. If you’re on drops for glaucoma, think XEN®!

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss. Its damage is mostly preventable. Treatment usually involves lowering the pressure inside the eye. Eye drop medications, laser surgery, and other surgeries are options.

The Xen Gel stent for glaucoma is a unique procedure that has great pressure-lowering ability but without the downsides and slow recovery of other procedures. It largely replaced trabeculectomy and tube shunts in our practice.

In 2019 and 2020, The Eye Clinic of Florida led the nation in XEN® Gel implants for glaucoma. Over the last three years, we’ve incorporated three surgical refinements that dramatically improved results from standard XEN ® surgery. It’s now the preferred technique of many surgeons around the country.

The technique we pioneered has changed the way glaucoma is approached for patients on one drop to those on four or more! Previously, the risks and slow recovery of surgery made doctors hesitate to recommend it. The lack of long-term pressure lowering and drop independence for the effort endured by the patient was disappointing. Glaucoma treatment doesn’t need to be like that.

With our procedure:

  • Pressures are most often better when off medicine than on medicine after surgery.
  • Patients can see immediately afterwards and don’t need a patch or shield.
  • Glaucoma medicines are stopped.
  • Only one medication drop is used for a few weeks operatively.

Family history dramatically increases your risk of having the disease but doesn’t mean you will definitely get it. Research indicates that African American people fare worse with glaucoma than Caucasians. Additional factors like smoking makes battling glaucoma more difficult.

Vision loss is common, but it is often preventable. Early glaucoma treatment is key because what vision you lose doesn’t come back. It is often said that it’s like running toward a cliff. It doesn’t actually hurt until you fall off. Glaucoma treatment slows you down, so hopefully your vision doesn’t fall off that cliff!

Dr. Mahootchi has done the most XEN® Gel Stents in the United States and was one of the first surgeons to perform the procedure. His satisfaction rate amongst patients is unmatched. Dr. Mahootchi regularly trains other ophthalmologists around the country about XEN ®.

Contact The Eye Clinic of Florida at 813-538-1500 for more information on XEN ® Gel Stent for glaucoma treatment.

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