A Cape Breton eye doctor, who is now using the latest technology to treat patients with glaucoma, says the procedure is good news for those affected.
In June, Dr. Rani Al karmi became the first ophthalmologist in Atlantic Canada to conduct a new procedure called iStent inject when he performed the surgery on two patients at the Glace Bay Hospital eye clinic.
“I’m happy to say that it was smooth sailing with those two and we’re looking forward to having more cases in September,” said Al karmi, an Ottawa-trained physician who has been practising in Cape Breton for the past seven years.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that can result in damage to the optic nerve and even blindness. The biggest risk with the affliction, which affects an estimated 500,000 Canadians, is the increased eye pressure that occurs when fluids are unable to drain naturally.
Glaucoma patients have traditionally been treated with medication (predominantly in the form of drops), laser therapies, or an incisional surgery known as a trabeculectomy.
According to Al karmi, the common medicinal eye drop treatment has three drawbacks: its numerous side effects; the non-compliance of those using it; and the cost of the medication.
But he’s adamant that the iStent inject procedure, recently approved in Canada, is the best option for many patients with glaucoma.
“Peer-reviewed studies have shown that in more than 70 per cent of cases (using the iStent inject) that you are able to either completely stop the medication or you are at least reducing the amount of medication that is being used,” said Al karmi.
The ophthalmologist said the new procedure is more “surgeon-friendly” than other micro-surgeries that involve more invasive contact with the eye.
As the name suggests, the iStent injection involves the surgical insertion of a tiny, almost invisible, stent into the eye. The stent then creates a permanent channel through the eye that restores its natural outflow. In lay terms, it unblocks the clogged drainage system and restores the natural checks and balances involved in controlling pressure within the eye.
“It’s amazing technology and certainly easier for the surgeon — but you still need a lot of dexterity because you are using both hands during the procedure,” said Al karmi, who added that the surgery can be performed on its own or immediately following cataracts removal.
He said the big benefit to glaucoma patients in Cape Breton is that they no longer have to travel to Halifax, where eye surgeons are still using the previous generation of stent technology.
According to Al karmi, the procedure is covered by MSI, while the patient is responsible for the stent, which presently cost about $1,400. However, he is optimistic that the stent, too, may someday be covered by the province’s health insurance plan.
