Tube Surgery and Dilation

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John - 29 Nov 2003 22:33 GMT

I have had tube surgery in both eyes. Because the tubes are positioned
carefully between iris and cornea, it seems to me that unnecessary large
motion of the iris as by routine exam dilations isn't a good idea.

My inclination is to refuse dilations without a clear purpose.

Has anyone received medical advice on this?

Thanks.

John

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Rick Cohn, M.D. - 01 Dec 2003 04:05 GMT

> I have had tube surgery in both eyes. Because the tubes are positioned
> carefully between iris and cornea, it seems to me that unnecessary large
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> John

Most often dilation is not a problem with a tube shunt as long as the
tube isn't resting right up against the iris. That is pretty
uncommon. Your doctor will probably still want to dilate you
occasionally to get a better look at your optic nerve or for optic
nerve head photos or analysis with an HRT or GDx. If you are
concerned, simply bring this up to your doc and ask, "Is my tube
sufficiently far away from my iris to prevent any problems with
dilation?" That should be very easy to tell just by looking at the
slit lamp. Good luck,
Rick Cohn, MD
Glaucoma Specialist
Winter Park, FL

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John - 01 Dec 2003 07:07 GMT

>> I have had tube surgery in both eyes. Because the tubes are positioned
>> carefully between iris and cornea, it seems to me that unnecessary large
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>Glaucoma Specialist
>Winter Park, FL

Thanks much, Dr. Cohn. I'll now ask for a tube position check, before my
first dilation. Your advice seems particularly important because the
dilation drops are often put in by a technician before any examination.

John

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