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15.11.2018 15:17:43
Diagnosis "glaucoma" - for many a shock. Not for Gisela Boczek from Molfsee. From the first moment she has full confidence in her ophthalmologist and his innovative treatment proposal. This pays off: Thanks to tiny titanium stents in the eye, she has been looking forward to a lower intraocular pressure and no longer needs to use eye drops. We have with the 78-year-olds and their attending physician PD Dr. Florian Rüfer talked about this method of glaucoma treatment.
It is estimated that around 800,000 Germans are currently suffering from glaucoma. The example of Gisela Boczek from nearby Kiel shows that each of them has a very personal (treatment) history. With a smile on her lips, she talks about the glaucoma treatment that changed everything half a year ago. For precaution, the 78-year-old goes for years regularly and this, although her eyesight is always very good. But her intraocular pressure is already elevated and she is diagnosed with glaucoma. As her then ophthalmologist then recommends to laser the eyes, Mrs. Boczek waved off vehemently: "Laser is a terror for me."
The pensioner wants a second opinion, changes the doctor and starts a drop therapy. But only four weeks later her eyes increasingly itch and burn. This is followed by numerous changes of drops and a lot of frustration. "I tried, but never was happy," she says. When, a little later, the drip dose is to be increased, she takes the decision on a walk with her beloved dog: "No more drops from now on." When her doctor suggests a treatment with the mini-stents "iStent inject®", she agrees enthusiastically.
The attending physician PD Dr. Florian Rüfer from the nordBLICK Eye Clinic Bellevue in Kiel has been operating the titanium stents for two and a half years - so far more than 300 eyes. Compared to the laser treatment, he praises the longevity of the stents. "Most laser procedures only provide a few months for a pressure reduction, then the body regenerates the tissue and the intraocular pressure rises again," he explains. The operations performed in August and November 2018 (both eyes operated sequentially) describe Mrs. Boczek as "harmonious" and "very beautiful". What has changed since then? "Everything for the better," summed up Gisela Boczek with relief. "Overall, I'm totally happy now. Now I have done it. And the nice thing is that you keep your attitude to life. "Gizela Boczek never doubted that the iStent inject®, which is only 0.3mm in diameter and 0.4mm long, would effectively reduce intraocular pressure. She trusts her doctor and also researches on the Internet. A video available there of a stent surgery she perceives as bloodless, neat and crystal clear - for the pensioner, the optimal alternative to the drop. How demanding the operation is for the attending physician If he talks about proving his instincts every time the stents are inserted, the insertion area in the eye is less than a millimeter wide. Precision work that pays off, as Mrs Boczek's satisfaction shows.
The decision to use the titanium stents in Mrs. Boczek met Dr.. Rüfer based on several factors. One of the reasons: In addition to glaucoma, the patient had a cataract-induced cataract ("cataract"). The subsequent glaucoma-cataract combination surgery thus once saved the opening of the eye. This allowed two birds to be killed with one stone. The Kiel ophthalmologist also emphasizes that in general he always weighs the relationship between risk and benefit. He estimates the risks of inserting the stent much less than with a classic eye-pressure-lowering surgery. "The security is excellent. Serious complications are extremely rare, "he explains. In the concluding question about the conclusion of the treatment, Mrs. Boczek answers promptly: "Great" and laughs heartily. But not only she, but also her treating doctor is satisfied with the result of treatment with iStent inject®. "You can not achieve more than with Ms. Boczek," he sums up.
Just as a stent in the coronary vessels serves to improve blood flow in constricted areas, the iStent inject® also causes a rapid flow of fluid. The small titanium implant creates a connection between the anterior chamber of the eye (between the cornea and the pupil) and the natural drainage path of the aqueous humor, the so-called Schlemm's Canal. The system consists of two stents preloaded in a disposable injector, which are introduced into the anterior chamber of the eye during a cataract operation as well as in a "stand-alone procedure" in a micro-invasive procedure and are positioned there so that the fluid flows out of the Anterior chamber can be passed directly into the "Schlemm's canal" - which can lead to a significant reduction in intraocular pressure.
Convincing study results: According to one study, 66 percent of patients treated with the iStent inject® technology had a permanently lowered intraocular pressure of less than 18 mmHg without medication even after 12 months.
