To put it simply, a glaucoma diagnosis is intimidating for many patients. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. While there’s no cure for glaucoma, there are treatment options designed to help preserve your vision, including Durysta.
Durysta is a newer treatment option for open-angle glaucoma (OAG) that also works for ocular hypertension (OHT). It’s a bimatoprost intracameral implant that’s FDA-approved, and Durysta works by releasing bimatoprost – a medication that combats high eye pressure – slowly over time.
When looking for a glaucoma treatment, Durysta offers several advantages over many alternatives, particularly eye drops. Here’s a look at what patients can gain by choosing the Durysta implant for glaucoma treatment.
Durysta Offers Better Effectiveness
While eye drops are an approved treatment for glaucoma, using that approach prevents all of the medication from reaching the impacted tissues. With glaucoma, intraocular pressure typically builds in the posterior or back of the eye, not the surface where eye drops are applied. As a result, not all of the medications reach the affected tissues.
One of the most distinct benefits patients experience when using the Durysta implant instead of eye drops is better efficacy. With Durysta, the implant is positioned to ensure medications are able to reach impacted tissues more reliably than eye drops. That makes it highly effective at reducing intraocular pressure and leads to better overall results.
Improved Stability with Durysta
When eye drops are used to treat glaucoma, the presence of the medication declines over time until the eye drops are reapplied. As a result, patients may experience fluctuations in intraocular pressure. Additionally, if they forget to apply the eye drops according to the schedule, more significant fluctuations can occur.
The Durysta implant ensures that medication is steadily released over time. This creates greater stability when it comes to eye pressure, even overnight. The implant provides stability for a minimum of four to six months, though patients may experience lower pressure up to 24 months after insertion.
Durysta Is Simpler for Patients
One of the challenges of using eye drops to treat glaucoma is the need for frequent applications. While the frequency of use does vary depending on a patient’s needs, some may need to apply the eye drops up to four times daily. That’s a potentially challenging schedule to maintain, particularly for people who are on the go or may struggle with remembering to use the medication.
With the Durysta implant, patients don’t need to take action to ensure they’re getting the treatment. Once inserted, Durysta slowly releases the medication on its own. As a result, it’s far simpler for patients to use, as once it’s in place, no further effort is typically required.
See The Best Doctors in Buffalo for Glaucoma Treatment
At ECVA, the safety and health of our patients’ eyes are our priority. If you’ve been diagnosed with glaucoma and want to see if the Durysta implant is right for you or simply haven’t visited your eye care provider in the past year, the ECVA team is here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.
