In recognition of World Glaucoma Week, Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, is helping educate people on the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness and offering new tools that might help improve the lives of millions living with glaucoma. The new educational efforts aim to bring attention to the importance of regular eye screenings, the pressures associated with daily management of glaucoma, and the potential benefits of microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) options like the Alcon CyPass^® Micro-Stent.

“World Glaucoma Week is an opportunity for Alcon to highlight a condition often referred to as the ‘silent thief of sight,’ impacting millions around the world each year,” said Sergio Duplan, Region President, North America, Alcon. “Our efforts during this week and the recent launch of the CyPass^® Micro-Stent demonstrate our commitment to helping enhance sight and to improving the lives of people with glaucoma and other eye conditions worldwide.”

The CyPass^® Micro-Stent is now widely available in the U.S. and in regions around the globe as a surgical option that can help patients to reduce their daily dependence on daily eye drops. In the U.S., CyPass^® Micro-Stent is inserted at the time of cataract surgery and works by enhancing part of the natural drainage pathways of the eye to allow excess fluid to drain with the goal of reducing intraocular pressure.

Alcon will kick off the following as part of a national effort during World Glaucoma Week (March 11-17):

• New online tool, MyCyPass.com, that provides a patients with important information on glaucoma and cataracts, and guidance on finding a CyPass^® Micro-Stent surgeon in your area (available on March 8)
• Feature in the USA Today “Vision and Hearing” supplement, distributed in select markets including New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Boston, South Florida and Dallas/Fort Worth
• Partnerships with certified CyPass^® Micro-Stent surgeons from around the country who will appear in television and radio segments to encourage glaucoma patients to speak with their doctors about the right treatment options for them

“It’s exciting to see new innovative options that can help fill an unmet need for glaucoma patients looking to ease the pressures of traditional treatments like daily eye drops,” said Dr. Robert Fechtner, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY. “Patients need to know about this and that’s why I’m partnering with Alcon to talk about the importance of being educated about glaucoma management and what surgical options are available.”

Glaucoma impacts more than 60 million people worldwide, including nearly 3 million Americans.^1,2 Treatments range from daily eye drops to surgery. Adhering to the regimen of eye drops can be challenging and research has shown that approximately 40 percent of patients do not take their glaucoma medications as prescribed, or do not continue to refill them.³

For more information about Alcon’s initiatives in support of World Glaucoma Week and to learn more about the CyPass^® Micro-Stent, visit MyCyPass.com.

Important information about the CyPass^® Micro-Stent

The CyPass^® Micro-Stent is a prescription medical device that is used to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with mild to moderate primary open-angle glaucoma who are undergoing cataract surgery. The CyPass^® Micro-Stent should not be used in patients with other types of glaucoma, or in patients whose eye anatomy or condition is unusual (for instance, if the area in the patient’s eye is too narrow to implant the CyPass^® Micro-Stent, or if there is a condition that may prevent the eye surgeon from seeing where it will be implanted). If IOP is not adequately maintained after implantation of a CyPass^® Micro-Stent, additional therapy may be needed for IOP control. 

As with any surgery, there are risks and potential complications associated with routine cataract surgery and implantation of a CyPass^® Micro-Stent.  The risks of CyPass^® Micro-Stent implantation with cataract surgery are similar to the risks of having cataract surgery alone; however, there are some additional risks associated with CyPass^® Micro-Stent implantation. There is a small risk that the CyPass^® Micro-Stent implantation will not be successful or the device may not be properly positioned.  Other risks that may be related to use of the CyPass^® Micro-Stent include bleeding during surgery, inflammation, tissue trauma, fluid collection in the back of the eye, changes in eye pressure that could affect vision, the feeling that there is something in the eye, eye pain, glaucoma disease progression, or the IOL may move from its original position. Additional surgeries may be needed to address these risks.

Talk to your eye doctor about the risks and benefits of the CyPass^® Micro-Stent.  For more information including a patient information brochure please visit Alcon.com.