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Medical Author:

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist. Dr. Dahl's educational background includes a BA with Honors and Distinction from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and an MD from Cornell University, where he was selected for Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. He had an internal medical internship at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Because one may experience temporary increases in IOP after an iridotomy, IOP is checked 1 hour after laser treatment. A visit is then arranged for the next day. At this visit, the eye is examined, and IOP is checked again. The other eye will probably be examined at this time, so the eye doctor can determine if it is at risk for angle-closure glaucoma and possibly prevent its occurrence.

The patient should continue using the medicines that were chosen to treat the acute attack of glaucoma for 1 day after leaving the hospital or clinic following the iridotomy; after 1 day, the patient may stop taking these medications. To help reduce any inflammation, the ophthalmologist may also prescribe corticosteroid drugs for 1 week following surgery.

If a laser iridotomy is not successful in reducing the pressure, an ophthalmologist may repeat the gonioscopic examination to rule out the presence of peripheral anterior synechiae. If peripheral anterior synechiae are found, the patient may need a laser gonioplasty or a surgical iridotomy. The eye doctor will discuss the next appropriate step in the patient's treatment plan with him or her.

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