Glaucoma – Drops or Surgery?

Traditionally, we in the ophthalmology community have started our newly diagnosed glaucoma patients on eye drops. Eye drops are usually acceptable to patients as a first line treatment during discussions, at least moreso than surgery. However, the breadth of options for treating glacuoma using procedures is expanding more and more. At this point, I still go for drops first, but, as I learn from others, perhaps the impetus will increasingly be toward procedures rather than drops, even early in the treatment course.