Glens Falls Hospital and Eye Surgeons Drs. David Westfall, Steve Solomon and Mark Hite announced they have performed one of the first iStent implant surgeries in the nation at Glens Falls Hospital.

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States, yet many people are unaware of their condition since it is generally painless and vision symptoms often occur later in the disease. “Until now, the common treatment option was to spend the rest of your life putting one, two or even three different drops in your eye every day”, says Dr. Solomon. “Unfortunately, all of these drops are not only inconvenient, but also potentially very expensive.”

“Technology has always played an important role in eye care and this is exemplified by the iStent: the world’s smallest medical implant.”Dr. Hite went on to say, “The iStent allows us to effectively manage a patient’s eye pressure by creating a permanent opening through the body’s natural drain in his or her eye, thereby lowering and controlling pressure within the eye.”

Oftentimes, new technology and advanced procedures take years to reach community hospitals, forcing patients to travel long distances to a university setting. Drs. Solomon, Hite and Westfall along with Glens Falls Hospital have changed all that. They saw the need and the potential to change people’s lives.

“It may be a tiny device”, says Dr. Westfall, “but it will be a giant advance for the treatment of glaucoma. I’m thrilled to bring it to our community. Even better is that we are able to implant the stent during cataract surgery saving patients an additional trip to the operating room.”

It’s this kind of forward thinking that local eye surgeons and Glens Falls Hospital have that makes the future very bright for The New York Eye Surgical Institute opening this summer in Wilton, NY. This great addition to the area will be a dedicated eye surgical institute providing advances like the iStent to the local community. To stay up to date on the progress of the surgical institute go to http://www.TheNewYorkEyeSurgicalCenter.com

To learn if you are a good candidate for the iStent, contact Dr. David Westfall at Westfall Vision 518-792-5711 or Drs. Steve Solomon & Mark Hite at Glens Falls Eye Associates 518-793-0331