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Trabeculectomy is a surgery performed for people with glaucoma. Its purpose is to lower the pressure inside the eye. This surgery is usually an option when eye drops and laser treatments are not enough to control the eye pressure and stop the vision loss from glaucoma.
read more about trabeculectomy ...In glaucoma, the eye's natural drainage system gets clogged. Fluid builds up inside the eye, which raises the pressure. This high pressure can damage the optic nerve and cause you to lose your sight. A trabeculectomy creates a new drainage path for the fluid to leave the eye, which lowers the pressure and helps protect the optic nerve.
During this surgery, an eye surgeon creates a new opening in the wall of the eye. First, a small flap is made in the sclera, the white part of the eye. The surgeon then removes a tiny piece of tissue from the eye's clogged drain. This new opening allows fluid to flow out of the eye. The fluid collects in a small bubble, called a bleb, which is hidden under the upper eyelid.
Your eye will be covered with a patch after the surgery, and your vision will be blurry for some time. You will need to use eye drops for several weeks to prevent infection and help with healing. It is very important to avoid heavy lifting and straining. You will also have many follow-up visits with your doctor to make sure the surgery is working correctly.
The biggest challenge with trabeculectomy is the body's natural ability to heal. If the body heals the new surgical opening too well, it will scar over and close the drain, causing the pressure to go back up. To prevent this, surgeons apply a special medicine called an antimetabolite (like Mitomycin C) during the surgery. This medicine stops the tissue from scarring, ensuring the new drainage channel stays open for the long term.
No, there is no cure for glaucoma. This surgery is a treatment that helps control the eye pressure to stop the disease from getting worse. It cannot fix any vision that has already been lost.
The surgery itself is not painful because your eye will be numb. Afterward, your eye might feel scratchy or uncomfortable for a few days, but this is usually managed with pain medicine.
The bleb is a small pocket of fluid that forms under the upper eyelid. It looks like a tiny blister. Seeing a well-formed bleb tells the doctor that the new drain is working and fluid is leaving the eye as planned.
Your eye doctor will talk to you about trabeculectomy if your glaucoma continues to get worse even with other treatments. It is a major surgery, so you should discuss all the possible benefits and risks with your doctor to decide if it is the right step for you.
1. Trabeculectomy. American Academy of Ophthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/trabeculectomy-12. January 21, 2026.
2. Glaucoma Surgery. National Eye Institute. https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma/glaucoma-surgery. December 5, 2024.
3. Trabeculectomy: Procedure, Complications & Recovery. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/trabeculectomy. August 29, 2024.
4. Trabeculectomy. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/trabeculectomy. Accessed March 31, 2026.
5. Glaucoma - Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glaucoma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20372846. November 5, 2024.