A 67-year-old male patient, residing in Ho Chi Minh City, was diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma in both eyes 6 years ago. Previously, the patient was being treated with 3 types of glaucoma drugs, never had surgical intervention. At the time of admission, the patient's left eye had moderate market damage.
According to the doctor's assessment, left eye vision before surgery reached 7/10, glaucoma was at 25 mmHg despite optimal use of 3 types of glaucoma-reducing drugs. After professional consultation, the patient was prescribed surgery using iTrack Advance technique. A week after surgery, left eye vision was still maintained at 7/10, while glaucoma was significantly reduced to 12 mmHg.
Assessing the treatment results, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Van Nguyen - Director of the inpatient ophthalmology consulting unit of the University of Southern California (USA) said that the natural fluid drainage system of the eye has been completely regenerated. The prognosis after surgery is assessed to be very positive, expected to help patients control glaucoma well, limit the progression of the disease and preserve vision for a long time.
According to BSCKI. Nguyen Quang Dai, Deputy Head of Quality Management Department, Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, glaucoma (also known as "water glaucoma") is a dangerous disease but usually progresses silently. In the early stages, patients have almost no symptoms, central vision is still clear, so it is easy to be subjective. Over time, the disease causes damage to the optic nerve, narrowing the peripheral market. When detected, many cases are already in the late stages, vision decline does not recover, and there is even a risk of permanent blindness.
BSCKII. Trang Thanh Nghiep, Head of Glaucoma Department, Ho Chi Minh City Eye Hospital, said that for cases of mild to moderate glaucoma, glaucoma control may not achieve the goal even after optimal internal medicine treatment and/or laser intervention. Meanwhile, traditional surgeries are often considered for postponement due to concerns about complications and post-operative care burdens.
In this context, the development of minimally invasive glaucoma intervention techniques has significantly expanded treatment options. New methods aim to safely reduce glaucoma, conserve tissue structure, shorten recovery time and improve the quality of life for patients.
Sharing at the technology transfer ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Van Nguyen said that iTrack Advance is a technique belonging to the group of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. This method focuses on restoring the natural drainage system of the eye, the core cause of glaucoma. During surgery, the doctor uses a small microtubule to access and pump a special amount of mucus to expand the entire Schlemm tube, thereby improving the ability to drain intraocular fluid without creating an artificial drainage pathway.
Compared to traditional methods such as corneal segmentation or drainage valve placement, iTrack Advance has the advantage of being less invasive, reducing the risk of complications, limiting scars after surgery and helping patients recover faster. In particular, "repairing" the physiological drainage system instead of creating a new drainage pathway is expected to bring sustainable and safe glaucoma control effectiveness to glaucoma patients.
