Ex-PRESS Mini Shunt

Ex-PRESS™ Mini Glaucoma Shunt

Now there is a less invasive alternative to trabeculectomy to reduce IOP, thanks to a novel
device called the Ex-PRESS™ Mini Glaucoma Shunt, from Optonol. The Ex-PRESS™ is inserted into the anterior chamber under a scleral flap at the limbus.This technique enables increased resistance to aqueous flow in the early postoperative.

The Ex-PRESS™ mini glaucoma shunt is a 400-micron diameter tube made from implantable stainless steel that is less than 3 mm long, and comes loaded on a specially designed disposable inserter. The device reduces intraocular pressure (IOP) by diverting excess aqueous humor from the anterior chamber to a subconjunctival bleb. The Ex-PRESS™ shunt has advantages over conventional filtering surgery in that it is minimally invasive. Its "miniature" size requires a very small incision in the conjunctiva. In addition, the Ex-PRESS™ procedure can typically be completed in less than five minutes.

The operation is similar to the standard trabeculectomy except that there is no need for an iridectomy and no removal of scleral tissue ... Aqueous outflow is limited in a predictable way ... These differences may present advantages over (the gold) standard trabeculectomy.”
(Journal of Glaucoma,Volume 14, Number 2, April 2005)