Below is a narrated animation of canaloplasty procedure. Click here to license this video on Alila Medical Media website.

Canaloplasty is a newer, less invasive surgical procedure performed for treatment of open angle glaucoma. The procedure involves enlargement of the eye’s natural drainage canal – the Schlemm’s canal.

In this procedure:

–          A small opening is made in the sclera to gain access to the Schemm’s canal.

–          A microcatheter, essentially a fiber-optic tube, is inserted to encircle and enlarge the drainage canal.

–          After a full circle of cannulation, the microcatheter is used to pull a suture through the entire circumference of the canal.

–          The ends of the suture are then tied together to provide tension to the inner wall of the canal and the associated trabecular meshwork. This keeps the canal open and facilitates aqueous humor drainage.

Fig. 1: Canaloplasty procedure. Click on image to see it on Alila Medical Media website where the image is also available for licensing (together with other related images and videos).

 

 

 

Canaloplasty is less invasive than the traditional trabeculectomy surgery as it does not require penetration into the anterior chamber of the eye. The procedure is therefore much safer, resulting in less complication.

Canaloplasty is recommended for patients at high risk of infection or bleeding, and for those  who have had complications in the other eye from trabeculectomy. Contact lens users may also be good candidates for this procedure.