Glaucoma Treatment in Oman
Glaucoma treatment lowers the pressure inside the eye to protect the optic nerve and the sight you still have, using daily drops, SLT laser, or surgery when drops and laser are not enough. Finland Eye Center (المركز الفنلندي للعيون) diagnoses and treats glaucoma at its eye clinics in Oman, from screening and eye-pressure monitoring to glaucoma surgery, including trabeculectomy. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, usually without early symptoms, and vision lost to it cannot be restored. Glaucoma consultations are available in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah.
Glaucoma at a glance
- Condition
- Glaucoma: damage to the optic nerve, usually linked to raised eye pressure
- Tests
- Tonometry, OCT, visual field, gonioscopy, pachymetry
- Treatments
- Eye drops, SLT laser, laser iridotomy, trabeculectomy, drainage device
- Who should be screened
- Adults from about 40; earlier with family history, diabetes, high short-sight or steroid use
- Consultations at
- Muscat, Sohar and Salalah
- Can it be cured?
- No, but it can usually be controlled with lifelong treatment and follow-up
- Eye clinics in Oman since
- 2007
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
This page is a patient guide. For the treatment overview, see our glaucoma service page. Considering surgery? Read the glaucoma surgery guide.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, the cable that carries images from the eye to the brain. It is usually linked to raised pressure inside the eye, although it can occur at normal pressure. Side vision is lost first and slowly, so many people do not notice it until the damage is advanced.
Glaucoma is different from cataract: a cataract clouds the lens and can be fixed with surgery, while glaucoma damage to the nerve is permanent. Treatment aims to stop further loss.
Who should be screened for glaucoma?
Have a glaucoma check by about age 40, and sooner if any of these apply to you:
- Age over 40
- A parent, brother or sister with glaucoma
- Diabetes
- High short-sightedness (myopia)
- Long-term steroid (cortisone) use
- A previous eye injury
How is glaucoma diagnosed?
Tonometry (eye pressure)
Measures the fluid pressure inside the eye.
OCT imaging
Scans the optic nerve and nerve-fibre layer to detect and track damage.
Visual field test
Maps your side vision to find areas of loss.
Gonioscopy
Examines the drainage angle to tell open-angle from angle-closure glaucoma.
Pachymetry
Measures corneal thickness, which affects pressure readings.
What are the treatment options?
Drops or SLT laser usually come first. Surgery is considered when eye pressure stays uncontrolled or the optic nerve keeps deteriorating.
| Option | How it lowers eye pressure | Where / how | Typical use | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye drops | Reduce fluid production or improve drainage | Daily, at home | First-line for most open-angle glaucoma | Must be used every day; may cause redness or irritation |
| SLT laser (selective laser trabeculoplasty) | Laser improves drainage through the eye's natural outflow | In clinic, a few minutes, no incision | First-line or added to drops | Effect can wear off over years; can be repeated |
| Laser iridotomy | Small laser opening in the iris | In clinic | Narrow angles / angle-closure | Prevents attacks; does not treat open-angle glaucoma |
| Trabeculectomy | Surgery creates a new drainage channel under the upper eyelid | Operating theatre | When pressure stays high despite drops or laser | Needs close follow-up in the first weeks |
| Drainage device (tube / valve) | Implant shunts fluid out of the eye | Operating theatre | Complex or previously operated eyes | Your surgeon explains the device chosen |
What is trabeculectomy?
Trabeculectomy is an operation that makes a small, controlled drainage opening in the white of the eye, hidden under the upper eyelid, so fluid can drain into a small reservoir (a "bleb") and eye pressure falls. It is done in an operating theatre under local anaesthesia and is advised when drops and laser have not lowered the pressure enough. Where a trabeculectomy is not suitable, a drainage tube or valve may be used instead. Read the full glaucoma surgery guide.
Is glaucoma ever an emergency?
What are the risks of each treatment?
- Drops: redness, stinging or dry eye; some drops can affect breathing or heart rate, so tell your doctor about asthma or heart conditions.
- SLT laser: mild ache or blurred vision for a day, and a short-lived rise in pressure that is checked after the laser.
- Trabeculectomy: infection, bleeding, pressure that is too low or too high, scarring that may need further treatment, and faster cataract development.
- After surgery: frequent check-ups in the first weeks, drops for several weeks, no eye rubbing and no heavy lifting until your surgeon advises.
Every glaucoma treatment has benefits and risks. Your ophthalmologist explains which option suits your eyes and what to expect before you decide.
Where is glaucoma treated?
Glaucoma consultations and pressure checks are available at the clinics below. Glaucoma surgery, including trabeculectomy, is carried out at our clinics in Muscat, Sohar and Salalah.
Glaucoma: frequently asked questions
Does glaucoma have symptoms?
The most common type, open-angle glaucoma, usually has no symptoms until side vision is already lost, which is why regular checks matter. A less common type, acute angle-closure glaucoma, causes sudden severe eye pain, redness, blurred vision, halos around lights, headache and nausea. That is an emergency: seek care the same day.
Can glaucoma be cured?
No. Glaucoma cannot be cured, and vision already lost cannot be restored. It can usually be controlled. Lowering eye pressure with drops, laser or surgery slows or stops further damage in most patients, provided treatment and follow-up visits are kept up for life.
Who should have a glaucoma check, and how often?
Adults should have a baseline eye examination including a glaucoma check by about age 40, and earlier if they are at higher risk. Higher risk means a family history of glaucoma, diabetes, high short-sightedness, long-term steroid use or previous eye injury. Your ophthalmologist then sets how often you need repeat checks, often every one to two years.
How is glaucoma treated?
Treatment lowers eye pressure. Most people start with daily eye drops or SLT laser, and laser iridotomy is used for narrow angles. Surgery, such as trabeculectomy or a drainage device, is considered when pressure stays too high or the optic nerve keeps deteriorating despite drops and laser. Whatever the treatment, regular check-ups continue for life.
Is SLT laser an alternative to eye drops?
For many people with open-angle glaucoma or high eye pressure, yes. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a few-minute clinic procedure that improves drainage and can be used first, instead of drops or alongside them. Its effect can fade over several years, and it can be repeated. Your ophthalmologist advises whether it suits your type of glaucoma.
Sources
- National Eye Institute (NEI): "Glaucoma"
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): "What Is Glaucoma?"
- Gazzard G, et al. LiGHT trial: SLT versus eye drops as first treatment. The Lancet, 2019
Last updated: 26 October 2026. General information only; your ophthalmologist will advise on your own eyes.
Book a glaucoma check
Early detection protects the sight you have. A check includes eye pressure, an optic nerve scan and, if needed, a visual field test.