Glaucoma

Activities

• Laser Service (Ophthalmology Department at Vall d'Hebron Hospital): Trabeculoplasty, iridoplasty, peripheral iridotomy, goniopuncture
• In the operating theatres at Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, glaucoma surgery is performed in 4 to 5 modules per week, in line with surgeon capacity both in terms of availability and technical skills/accreditations
• Filtration surgery: Trabeculectomy, non-penetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS), EXPRES P.50 implant, microincision glaucoma surgery (MIGS) techniques, iStent angle implants
• MIGS PLUS techniques: XEN implants
• Drainage devices: valve implants (Ahmed)
• Cycloablation techniques: transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (G-Probe TDLC), transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (MP3 TDLC)

Care services are currently conducted

• In outpatient clinics at Vall d'Hebron Hospital.
• In outpatient clinics at Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili.
• At the three clinics in our division: CAP Horta (Dr M. Castany), CAP Sant Andreu (Dr M. Amilburu), CAP Chafarinas (Dr J. Rigo and Dr O. Pujol).

Image

Teaching

For the past 12 years, the Glaucoma Department has trained resident doctors in the medical and surgical techniques for glaucoma, in weekly sessions divided into three trimesters (1st, 2nd and 4th T). These sessions cover diagnosis and the medical and surgical treatment of the condition. Our aim is to continue this work, as it has had excellent results.

The Glaucoma Department is responsible for annual coordination of and participation in the course. We would like to deliver a yearly course related to the condition glaucoma in which speakers from different hospitals are invited to participate.

Scholarship course for a 4th year resident (R-4) interested in glaucoma as a sub-specialism so that they can take part in the annual European Glaucoma Society (EGS) residents' course.

Residents receive teaching during their rotation in the Glaucoma Unit. It is currently split into two periods of 3 or 4 months. Face-to-face sessions take place with residents on Monday mornings (PSPV). There are also annual refresher courses led by physicians from the Glaucoma Service and physicians external to our hospital.

Research

We are currently involved in several research studies. Scientific activity:

• We have collaborated in various monographs and events related to glaucoma.
• We have contributed to creating an open-angle glaucoma clinical practice guide, we have published articles in national and international journals and have attended a number of conferences as speakers.
• We formed part of a multi-centre clinical trial into two surgical techniques for glaucoma and we are interested in being able to take part in the near future (as discussed with the Allergan Lab.), in a multi-centre trial to evaluate the efficacy, the duration of hypotensive action and the tolerance of biodegradable implants (Brimatoprost) injected in the anterior chamber of the eye.