Life without glasses is great
On Monday, June 10, 2024, Eye Centre Prague was the first in the Czech Republic to test a new, revolutionary technology for the treatment of glaucoma. This is the minimally invasive method of microsclerectomy, also known as MIMS®. This innovative technology, which has already proven its effectiveness worldwide, is now coming to the Czech Republic.
The first surgery using this technology was performed by Dr. Andrea Janeková, FEBO, the head physician of the cataract and refractive surgery center and deputy head of OCP, and Dr. Marek Fichtl, head of the Glaucoma Center at VFN and president of the Czech Glaucoma Society.
Minimally invasive microsclerectomy, known by the abbreviation MIMS®, is a procedure that creates a drainage pathway to reduce intraocular pressure. Its advantage over similar methods for treating glaucoma is that it does not require stent implantation.
"A specially designed surgical instrument is inserted into the sclera, where it removes a small channel of tissue. This channel then remains open and continuously drains intraocular fluid, effectively reducing intraocular pressure. This means that MIMS® provides patients with glaucoma a minimally invasive and stent-free alternative that is easy to use and less burdensome for the patient," explains the principle of the new technology Dr. Andrea Janeková.
MIMS is performed using a surgical system consisting of a multifunctional touchscreen control display, a foot pedal, and a disposable handheld unit. This procedure leads to a reduction in intraocular pressure, and in some patients, it may reduce or eliminate the need for eye drops. The procedure can be performed independently or in combination with cataract surgery. This technology has already received CE marking.
MIMS® is a leading technology for the treatment of glaucoma, offering a precise and effective alternative to traditional methods. Its innovative approach can bring hope to patients for more effective and gentle treatment of glaucoma.
"Current international experiences with MIMS® indicate that after the first year, there can be up to an 85% reduction in medication and a decrease in intraocular pressure of 38%. These results cannot yet be considered long-term, and it will certainly be necessary to monitor patient groups over a longer time frame," adds Dr. Marek Fichtl.
After the first check-up the day after the surgery, everything is fine for all operated patients, and the results are positive. We will now monitor all operated patients over the long term to obtain relevant results on the effectiveness of surgeries using this new technology.
"In the Czech Republic, this is a completely new technique, and therefore this new technology is not yet covered by insurance companies. The first surgeries were performed at our expense, and in the future, the cost of the surgery is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000 CZK. If the manufacturer can negotiate coverage with health insurance companies, it could happen within two years, as was the case with the surgery using the so-called iStents," states Adam Janek, director and board member of OCP.
In 2021, we performed the first private center in the Czech Republic to carry out a new unique glaucoma surgery, where titanium microstents, known as iStents, were implanted in patients with glaucoma. Currently, we offer this surgery to patients with glaucoma as one of the standard surgical procedures, and we are also one of the two private certified facilities in the entire Czech Republic where the treatment method using the iStent inject W implant is fully covered by health insurance.
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