An innovative endoscopic procedure that catheterizes the drainage system of the eye is saving patients from blindness and significantly decreasing the need for the currently prevalent invasive surgeries, which entail complex efforts to bypass the eye's drainage system.
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The trailblazing, minimally invasive surgery, known as gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy, was introduced several months ago at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba to treat open-angle glaucoma, which causes irreversible harm to tens of thousands of Israelis, most of them elderly.
The GATT procedure involves cutting the first layer of the natural drain system (trabecular meshwork), which allows the fluid to leave the eye more easily and lowers the eye pressure.
The surgery is performed in the operating room under anesthesia. Tiny incisions are made in the front of the eye, and a special lens is placed on the eye to visualize the eye's natural drain. A small opening is made in the drain, through which a catheter (a wire the size of a strand of hair) is inserted. The catheter has a light at one end, allowing the surgeon to track its position. Once the catheter has reached the right position, the catheter is pulled and the drain is opened. The fluid can then leave the eye. The GATT procedure takes about 45 minutes but will take longer if performed along with cataract surgery.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision. This damage is often caused by abnormally high pressure in the eye. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.
More than 200 patients have undergone the GATT procedure at Meir Medical Center, with a very high success rate of 90%. Thus far, a two-year-old girl, around 40 patients aged 10-50, and the rest aged 60-96 have undergone the surgery.
The procedure is performed by Dr. Avner Belkin, the only doctor in Israel who has been chosen for the highly specialized, prestigious training program, in which just three doctors from across the globe are selected per year.
Prof. Elad Moisseiev, the chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Meir Medical Center, told Israel Hayom: "The GATT surgery brings real tidings to glaucoma patients. It's a relatively short procedure that doesn't require special implants, and in the hands of a skilled surgeon such as Dr. Belkin, the operation is highly effective with a low percentage of complications. Beyond the quick recovery time and reduction of pressure in the eye, the surgery also significantly reduces the number of drops that patients need to apply afterward, and in many cases don't need them at all."
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