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Trabecular Micro-Implant “iStent” Now in Use at the S. Malayan Ophthalmological Center
The Glaucoma Department at the S. Malayan Ophthalmological Center has successfully introduced the iStent, a trabecular micro-implant developed by the American company Glaukos Corporation. This device offers a new, revolutionary method for slowing the progression of glaucoma. The iStent is the smallest device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and its primary function is to lower intraocular pressure (IOP).
“People often assume that glaucoma is untreatable. But in reality, it only leads to blindness when ignored,” says Chief Ophthalmologist Aleksandr Malayan.
The iStent was invented by Dr. Richard Hill, a glaucoma specialist, professor at the University of California, Irvine, and board member of the Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP). He has visited Armenia many times and performed numerous surgeries.
The device is implanted by Associate Professor Lilit Voskanyan, Head of the Glaucoma Department at the S. Malayan Ophthalmological Center. With support from AECP, she trained under Dr. Hill in the United States and now applies her expertise in modern ophthalmic practice with great success.
Glaucoma is a disease in which fluctuations in intraocular pressure damage the optic nerve. Since the optic nerve is composed of nerve tissue, any damage to it is irreversible. Intraocular pressure is regulated by the outflow of intraocular fluid, and when this fluid cannot drain properly — often due to obstruction at the angle of the anterior chamber — it begins to compress the optic nerve. Shunts placed at this angle help improve fluid outflow and relieve pressure.
About 60% of patients at the Center are diagnosed with either primary or secondary congenital glaucoma, which eventually progresses and evolves over time.
Shunt implantation is an ideal procedure and typically causes no complications. Complications may only arise if the shunt alone is insufficient to reduce intraocular pressure.
Armenia — through the S. Malayan Ophthalmological Center — was among the first in the region to introduce this technology, marking a major achievement in the country’s healthcare system.
Professor Richard Lindstrom of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Ophthalmology, who visited Armenia with colleagues from the U.S. and Australia, praised the Center’s facilities and advanced surgical techniques. He also commended Dr. Voskanyan for her remarkable work, skill, and professionalism. He noted that the experience gained in Armenia can serve as a model for other medical fields as well.
According to Professor John Hovhannisyan of UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute and AECP board member, the primary goal over the past two decades has been to bring the world’s top ophthalmologists to Armenia to help preserve vision for the Armenian people.
Today, international collaboration with leading specialists from around the world is especially important for Armenia. Hovhannisyan adds that it is a great honor to work with the highly skilled professionals at the S. Malayan Ophthalmological Center.
Cutting-Edge Glaucoma Treatment in Collaboration with Glaukos Corporation (USA)
From February 20–26, 2014, the S. V. Malayan Ophthalmological Center, in collaboration with Glaukos (USA) and leading glaucoma specialists from Germany, including Drs. Ohanova Y., Papoyan V., and Nersisyan L., carried out approximately 80 stent implantation surgeries for open-angle glaucoma under the supervision of Ph.D. Lilit Voskanyan, Head of the Glaucoma Department. These procedures used stents from different generations (G1, G2, G3) and are considered one of the most advanced treatments for glaucoma worldwide.
Armenia, through the S. V. Malayan Ophthalmological Center, remains the only country in the CIS where these surgeries have been successfully performed for over five years.
Since 2007, the Center has partnered with Glaukos Corporation, and in that time, over 2,000 patients have undergone surgery — without complications.
The surgery takes 3–5 minutes to perform. Glaukos (G-Series) stents are FDA-approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.