Centre for Sight performs first UK incision-free laser glaucoma procedure

Centre for Sight has performed the first UK procedure using a new incision-free laser treatment for glaucoma that can be carried out in around five minutes in an outpatient setting.

The procedure, known as FLIGHT, uses the ViaLuxe® laser system developed by ViaLase to create microscopic channels in the eye’s drainage tissue using image-guided femtosecond laser technology and OCT imaging. The treatment is designed to restore fluid outflow and reduce pressure inside the eye without the need for an incision.

Current surgical approaches to create these drainage channels require entry into the eye and are typically carried out in an operating theatre.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide and is often asymptomatic until vision loss has already occurred. Treatment pathways commonly begin with eye drops before progressing to laser treatment or surgery.

Centre for Sight founder and medical director Sheraz Daya carried out the first UK procedure in London on 25-year-old patient Jestina Jah.

Daya said: ‘Centre for Sight has always been committed to bringing meaningful innovation to patients through technologies that advance precision, safety and the overall treatment experience. We are proud to be among the first centres globally – and the first in the United Kingdom – to introduce the FLIGHT procedure, marking a redefinition of glaucoma care.

‘The best part of it is we are accomplishing something that previously required an incision and entry into the eye. Incision free, convenient and may dispense with the requirement for eye drops in majority of cases.’

Glaucoma affects an estimated 76 million people globally, with numbers projected to rise to 112 million by 2040.

Moorfields Eye Hospital director of surgery Gus Gazzard, who is due to perform a further procedure using the platform at Centre for Sight, said: ‘The ability to deliver a precise, image-guided femtosecond laser treatment without the need to open the eye represents a compelling advancement in glaucoma therapy.

‘The level of visualisation and procedural precision offered by the platform is particularly impressive.’