A new glaucoma study is exploring how two treatment options, iDose TR and MIGS, may work together to help lower eye pressure and reduce the need for daily glaucoma drops in some patients.
The study was led by Christine Funke, MD, a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center. It examined early real-world outcomes among patients with open-angle glaucoma who received both iDose TR and MIGS.
After 3 months, researchers found that many treated eyes had lower average eye pressure, used fewer glaucoma medications, and were more likely to be medication-free than before treatment.
“These results are encouraging, but they do not mean every patient with glaucoma can stop using eye drops. Glaucoma treatment is highly personal, and the right plan depends on each patient’s eye pressure, optic nerve health, disease stage, lifestyle, and long-term risk of vision loss”, says Dr. Christine Funke.
Read the complete peer-reviewed study.
What are iDose TR and MIGS?
iDose®TR is a tiny implant that slowly releases glaucoma medication into the eye. This may help some patients who have trouble remembering to take drops, placing them correctly, or tolerating medication side effects.
MIGS stands for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. These procedures are often used to help improve the eye’s natural drainage system and lower eye pressure. MIGS may be performed at the same time as cataract surgery for certain patients.
Because iDose TR and MIGS work in different ways, glaucoma specialists may consider using them together for selected patients.
What the Study Found
Three months after treatment, researchers reported:
- Lower average eye pressure
- Less need for topical glaucoma medications
- More eyes that were not using pressure-lowering drops
For patients, this may mean fewer daily medications and an easier-to-manage treatment routine. However, the main goal of glaucoma care is not just convenience. The most important goal is to lower intraocular pressure enough to help protect the optic nerve and preserve vision.
What This Means for Patients
iDose TR and MIGS may be helpful for some patients who:
- Have trouble remembering daily glaucoma drops
- Struggle to place drops correctly
- Experience irritation or side effects from drops
- Use several glaucoma medications
- Need more consistent medication delivery
- Have both glaucoma and cataracts
- May benefit from a combined treatment approach
Even if a patient is able to reduce or stop daily drops, glaucoma still requires ongoing monitoring. Regular eye pressure checks, optic nerve imaging, visual field testing, and follow-up visits remain an important part of long-term glaucoma care.
“Glaucoma is a lifelong disease, and many patients need more than one tool to control eye pressure over time. Our early real-world findings suggest that combining treatments that work in different ways may help appropriately selected patients lower eye pressure while reducing their reliance on daily drops”.
If you have glaucoma and are interested in learning whether iDose TR, MIGS, or another treatment option may be right for you, schedule an evaluation with a glaucoma specialist.