Tube Shunt

Tube shunts are small devices implanted into the eye as a means to drain excess fluid. The tube portion of the device is inserted into the eye’s anterior chamber to create a way for the eye’s aqueous fluid to be evacuated. The tube shunt surgery is typically a treatment option used to decrease the eye’s intraocular pressure (IOP) after medication and laser therapy has proven unsuccessful.

One advantage of tube shunts is the low risk of major scarring–which can sometimes prevent the fluid from draining properly.  Tube shunt surgery is typically recommended for patients who have not responded well to a trabeculectomy or are not candidates for trabeculectomy.

Tube shunt surgery is performed in the operating room under local or general anesthesia. During the procedure, a small incision is made near the top of the eye directly underneath the conjunctiva — the eyeball’s outermost coating of fluid and mucous. The body of the shunt is sewn into place under the conjunctiva, while the tube is inserted into the eyeball. Even though the body of the device is located on top of the eyeball, it is completely hidden by the conjunctiva.

After surgery, some patients will be able to reduce or stop using glaucoma eye drops altogether, but many people will need to maintain their current regimen.

Meet Dr. Ahluwalia

Mary Anne Ahluwalia, D.O. is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist at Triad Eye Institute.

Dr. Ahluwalia performs comprehensive eye exams along with medical and surgical treatments for glaucoma, including microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), trabeculectomy and the implantation of glaucoma drainage devices.

Dr. Ahluwalia is a member of the American Glaucoma Society and American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Ahluwalia is an active member of Leadership Tulsa and currently serves as a board member for the Autism Center of Tulsa and Tulsa Advocates for Rights of Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (TARC).