ECP is a surgical approach to Glaucoma management that employs endoscopy and visualised laser application of the Ciliary Processes. The selective ablation of the Ciliary Processes reduces the production of Aqueous Humour and thereby lowers Intraocular Pressure (IOP). ECP can be performed at the same time as Cataract surgery and is both safe and effective as surgical management for cataract and glaucoma.
Ophthalmic Surgery Centre (OSC) in Chatswood and Epping Surgery Centre are proud to be the only providers of this technology privately in Sydney. Whilst ECP has been available for over 20 years with over 100,000 procedures performed worldwide, the technology is more commonly available in the USA and Europe. The procedure has an MBS item number for Medicare and is rebatable for patients with private health insurance.
Dr Colin Clement, Cataract and Glaucoma Specialist and VMO at OSC, was instrumental in launching this technology at the Centre following his return from Glaucoma specialist training in the United Kingdom, where he used the technology extensively. Dr Clement states that the surgical treatment of Glaucoma now has an extra option for Surgeons with the addition of the ECP machine at OSC in Chatswood and Epping Surgery Centre. I do ECP on any patient requiring cataract surgery who also uses glaucoma medication. ECP’s efficacy and tolerability make it an excellent choice in this situation to reduce or eliminate glaucoma medications and/or further reduce intraocular pressure. It also addresses the issue of treatment non-adherence. This exciting initiative means that other eye surgeons operating at OSC and ESC now have this technology available to treat their patients.
Dr Clement has recently published at article in the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists journal – Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology on the combination of ECP and cataract surgery. More information about ECP and an abstract of the article can be found here.
