Good candidates for SLT include primary-open angle, normal tension pseudoexfoliation, or pigmentary glaucoma patients who:

  • Find it challenging to take glaucoma medications due to time or financial constraints, non-compliance and quality-of-life issues.

  • Are currently undergoing drug therapy and need to further reduce the pressure without adding drugs.

  • Wish to keep the number of drugs to a minimum

  • Do not tolerate drugs due to their adverse effects

  • Wish to use it as a primary glaucoma treatment

  • Experience loss of pressure lowering effects of drug therapy

  • Who have had ALT which has failed

 

Many glaucoma specialists are now considering SLT therapy as a first-line treatment for open-angle glaucoma. A recent Canadian study comparing SLT to latanoprost found SLT to be as effective as lantanoprost in lowering IOP (McIlraith I et al., J Glaucoma, 2006 Apr; 15(2): 124-30), and recommended that SLT should be considered a      first-line treatment of glaucoma. In the 2006 American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Jay Katz from Philadelphia reported a clinical trial whose conclusion was that "SLT is an alternative to medication as the starting therapy for open angle glaucoma".

 

 “SLT has turned out to be very worthwhile – both for our patients and for us as clinicians – and has changed how I approach glaucoma management.”

Madhu Nagar, FRCS, Ms Ophth

Consultant Ophthalmologist at Clayton Eye Center, UK

    

“Now, with SLT, we are more inclined to use it earlier, and the results have been better when we use it earlier. There are certainly advantages  for the patient and the clinician in terms of IOP control and stability.”

Ike Ahmed, MD

Associate Professor, University of Toronto

 “… the results have been so good that I now offer SLT as a first option to all my patients with ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma.”

Madhu Nagar, FRCS, Ms Ophth

Consultant Ophthalmologist at Clayton Eye Center, UK

"SLT can be used for patients who have undergone previous ALT and for those who have problems with compliance and drug therapy."

Mark Latina , MD

Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Tufts University

     

“In order to avoid unrealistic expectations by both patients and doctors, proper education and understanding of the treatment is required.”

Tarek Eid, MD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Consultant in Chief, Glaucoma and  Cataract Unit of Magrabi Eye and Ear Center, Jeddah

     

 "One member related the story of one of his patients, a 90-year-old man  from Wakefield who was so pleased with the results of SLT after 20 years of eye drops that he offered to put the physician in his will!"

Ellex UK User Group, May 2006

  “As initial therapy for OAG, SLT generates a reduction in IOP comparable  to medication and, at the same time, avoids compliance issues with medical treatment as well as ocular and systemic side effects and cost.”

Tarek Eid, MD

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Consultant in Chief, Glaucoma and Cataract Unit of Magrabi Eye and Ear Center, Jeddah

 

 
WHO IS SLT FOR?