Your doctor will review your medical history and conduct a comprehensive eye examination to check your eligibility for the procedure. He or she may perform several tests, including:

• Measuring intraocular pressure (tonometry)
• Testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye examination and imaging tests
• Checking for areas of vision loss (visual field test)
• Measuring corneal thickness (pachymetry)
• Inspecting the drainage angle (gonioscopy)

Before your appointment make a list of:

• Symptoms you've been having, and for how long
• All medications, supplements and vitamins you take, including the doses
• Any eye problems you've had in the past, such as vision changes or eye discomfort
• Family members with glaucoma, what type of glaucoma they had and how severe the condition was for them
• Previous, if any, glaucoma testing — for example, visual fields, imaging or eye exam records

The following techniques are intended to improve the drainage of fluid within the eye, thereby lowering pressure:

• Laser therapy. Laser trabeculoplasty is an option if you have open-angle glaucoma. It's done in your doctor's office. Your doctor uses a small laser beam to open clogged channels in the trabecular meshwork. It may take a few weeks before the full effect of this procedure becomes apparent.
• Filtering surgery. With a surgical procedure called a trabeculectomy, your surgeon creates an opening in the white of the eye (sclera) and removes part of the trabecular meshwork.
• Drainage tubes. In this procedure, your eye surgeon inserts a small tube shunt in your eye to drain away excess fluid to lower your eye pressure.
• Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). Your doctor may suggest a MIGS procedure to lower your eye pressure. These procedures generally require less immediate postoperative care and have less risk than trabeculectomy or installing a drainage device.

Your doctor will prescribe eye drops to help prevent swelling and infections, and you’ll need to use them for several weeks. These eye drops are different from other glaucoma eye drops you may already use. 

While you recover, you may need to avoid some activities for 2 to 4 weeks, like lifting anything heavy. You’ll also need check-ups with your doctor to make sure your eye is healing well.  

After your procedure, you'll need to see your doctor for follow-up exams. And you may eventually need to undergo additional procedures if your eye pressure begins to rise or other changes occur in your eye.