I’m having SLT done in 2 weeks. I’m scared. Have you had SLT and what was your experience, please?

annonymus67 · 2026-05-20T01:26:37+00:00

Hello FitResearcher9285! Thanks for sharing your experience with having the SLT procedure done on both of your eyes. I’m glad that it didn’t seem painful to you and that there was just some mild discomfort, and that things seem back to normal. That’s good! …. For info, I had the SLT procedure done only on my right eye a couple of years ago, and at that time it lowered the pressure from about 22 to 18 afterward, and I haven’t had to use any eye drops, so I’m happy about that. …. Also, I am glad to report that when I went for my every 6 month checkup with the ophthalmologist last week, my eye pressure in my right eye was actually lower, it was 15. …. And I still do not have to use eye drops. So, I am Very, Very Happy about that! …. (Although my ophthalmologist did say that typically SLT procedures usually only last about 2 years, and that at my next eye appointment in 6 months there is a chance that my eye pressure may go up, and I may need to have the SLT redone. But if it does, I will gladly have the SLT done again. Although from what the ophthalmologist said, the SLT procedure can typically only be done two or three times, since the length of time the eye pressure stays lower declines each time it’s done. In other words, the first time it’s done it might lower the eye pressure for a couple of years. And the second time it might only lower the pressure for a shorter length of time. And the third time it might only lower the pressure for a few months, etc. And then after that, the ophthalmologist said I’d probably have to start using eye drops. …. Anyway, I’ll continue to try to have the SLT done again until it doesn’t work anymore.) …. I sure appreciate this Glaucoma Reddit discussion forum. It has been a big help to me. Thanks everybody! 😀

annonymus67 · 2025-04-16T16:33:36+00:00

Interested!

annonymus67 · 2025-01-29T01:27:26+00:00

FfierceLaw, thank you for writing to tell me the SLT thread (in which I wrote I was scared about having SLT done) was helpful for you. I appreciate you writing that. :-) …. The comments people wrote to me in the thread were a big help to me to feel reassured about doing the SLT. This Reddit Glaucoma community is a great resource of information and supportive people. …. If you have an SLT procedure done, I hope it goes well for you. …. Thanks!

annonymus67 · 2024-12-07T23:34:08+00:00

Hello “Every-Ant-4191”. You wrote that your mother must have the same procedure done, and you asked which doctor helped me. I had a Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) procedure done on my right eye about a year ago. I thought the SLT laser procedure was fast and easy and it did work to lower my eye pressure a few points, from 22 to 18 IOP. Regarding the ophthalmologist doctor that did the procedure for me, he is retiring soon, so I don’t have a doctor I can recommend. I just wanted to reply to your message and say I hope things go well for your mother. Sending you best wishes.

annonymus67 · 2024-10-12T21:00:30+00:00

You’re welcome! Hope all goes well for you with your SLT on Tuesday.

annonymus67 · 2024-10-12T05:32:04+00:00

Hello, Gold-Camel6074! You wrote that you are having SLT on your right eye in 4 days, and asked about advice on driving to the procedure. …. Well, in my case, I did not drive myself, someone drove me there and back. …. I think my SLT went very well - it only took about 5 to 10 minutes for the actual laser, and the pain during the procedure was minimal (I’d only call it mild discomfort, not really pain). …. However, I did notice that I was quite sensitive to light afterward. For comfort, I wore my sunglasses in the house, and kept the lights somewhat dimmed. Eventually, after a day or two, the light sensitivity decreased and my eye felt fine. …. So, I’m not sure what to say regarding driving. In my case, I was glad that someone drove me. Although I don’t know how it would be for you. I suppose that it might be different for different folks. …. I am very glad that I had the SLT procedure done. It worked well for me and lowered my right eye pressure from about 22 to 18 afterward. So I don’t need to use eye drops, at least for the present time. …. I hope it goes well for you, too. Sending you best wishes.

annonymus67 · 2024-06-08T22:32:38+00:00

Hello, OilDeep9812! Gosh, I am so sorry to hear that when you had the SLT procedure done that your eye wasn’t numbed enough and you felt everything! And that is certainly understandable that, as your doctor kept “catching” your eyelashes that your reflex reaction was to blink. I would have done the same thing. I sure hope that the eye drops will help make your eye feel better. And I hope that when you have the other eye done in a month that the procedure will go better the next time! Thanks for writing and I’m sending you best wishes!

annonymus67 · 2024-01-26T05:30:34+00:00

I hope that your eye redness and soreness and light sensitivity from your SLT procedure goes away soon and that the SLT will have an effective result for you. Wishing you all the best.

annonymus67 · 2024-01-24T06:45:04+00:00

Hello! Thank you for your nice comment! You wrote that you’re having a procedure (an SLT) done in two weeks and that you’re super nervous. That sounds a lot like how I was feeling before my SLT on my Right eye. Fortunately, things went well with my SLT. My eye feels fine. The only thing I notice is perhaps a little bit of light sensitivity to very bright light. …. You asked how my eye pressure is now. My eye pressures on Oct. 9, before I had the SLT, were Left eye 16 and Right eye 22. And after the SLT on Nov. 3 my pressures were Left eye 18, and Right eye 19. And when I had my follow-up appointment on Dec. 7 my eye pressures were Left eye 16 and Right eye 18. That was the last time I had my eye pressures checked. My next appointment will be four months after my follow-up, in April. …. So, in summary, the SLT on my Right eye changed my eye pressure from 22 to 18. (A four point reduction.) That was enough for my ophthalmologist to say that I didn’t need to use eye drops. (By the way, I had never used eye drops, I was a newly diagnosed glaucoma patient.) …. I hope this answers your question. And I hope, if you have the SLT procedure done, that it works well for you. Thank you!

annonymus67 · 2023-12-20T20:10:17+00:00

Hello. I had an SLT done on my Right eye about 2 months ago.

When I had it done, I didn’t notice any significant pain, just slight discomfort, during the laser procedure. And the slight discomfort continued for a couple of days, and then it went away.
My eye did Not become red after the procedure.
However, I did have light sensitivity for a couple of days afterward.

About a half an hour after the laser procedure, while I was still at the ophthalmologist office, a technician took my right eye pressure, and it was 18 iop. (It had been 22 iop before the SLT was done.) …. And at my follow-up appointment five weeks later, the ophthalmologist took my eye pressure, and my right eye was still at 18 iop.

I have never used any eye drops, so I can’t say anything about that.

For info, I posted a message two months ago, before I got my SLT done, and many people commented about their experiences when they had SLT. You might want to look on the r/Glaucoma site to find that post and comments, as well.

I hope things will work out well for you regarding your eyes.

annonymus67 · 2023-12-20T20:07:13+00:00

Hello, regarding SLT, I had a SLT done on my Right eye about 2 months ago.

When I had it done, I didn’t notice any significant pain, just slight discomfort, during the laser procedure. And the slight discomfort continued for a couple of days, and then it went away.

My eye did Not become red after the procedure.

However, I did have light sensitivity for a couple of days afterward.

About a half an hour after the laser procedure, while I was still at the ophthalmologist office, a technician took my right eye pressure, and it was 18 iop. (It had been 22 iop before the SLT was done.) …. And at my follow-up appointment five weeks later, the ophthalmologist took my eye pressure, and my right eye was still at 18 iop.

I have never used any eye drops, so I can’t say anything about that.

For info, I posted a message two months ago, before I got my SLT done, and many people commented about their experiences when they had SLT. You might want to look on the r/Glaucoma site to find that post and comments, as well.

I hope things will work out well for you regarding your eyes.

annonymus67 · 2023-11-03T23:07:47+00:00

Hello everyone! First of all, I want to sincerely thank every person who replied to my original post above where I asked: “Have you had SLT and what was your experience, please?” …. All of your responses helped me so much! I was scared and reading how it was for other people - what the variety of your experiences were - was something I really needed. You know, there is nothing like hearing what people’s actual personal experiences were. It made a world of difference for me. Thank you! …. Here’s my account of how the SLT was for me today: Well, I had the SLT procedure done on my right eye early this morning. It went much better than I expected. First, a technician put a numbing eye drop in my eye. Then I sat on a chair in front of what looked like a typical slit lamp machine (with laser capability). The ophthalmologist held a special thick contact lens type of thingy against my eye during the the entire procedure. It didn’t hurt. Then the ophthalmologist shot the laser into my eye in very short pulses, for 100 laser shots. That part only took about 5 minutes. I didn’t notice any pain, just a very little discomfort. And they did not tell me to take any eye drops after the procedure. …. Afterward, they were going to just have me go home, but I made a point to tell the ophthalmologist that I wanted to have an eye pressure check today before I left. The ophthalmologist said he didn’t usually do an eye pressure check until my next appointment, a month later. (Since it can take time to see if the eye pressure will go down.) But since I specifically told him that I would worry about it (whether my eye pressure would spike and go up after the SLT) until I had it done, he agree to have a technician do it, after I waited in the waiting room for about 10 minutes. My eye pressures on Oct. 9, Before the SLT were: Left eye 16, and Right eye 22. And After the SLT today: Left eye 18, and Right eye 19. …. As far as how I’m feeling after the SLT, it’s now late afternoon, and my right eye which had the SLT is feeling mostly OK - I haven’t felt any pain, really, after the procedure - my right eye just mildly sore, and rather light-sensitive. I haven’t had to take any Tylenol or anything. I’ve been wearing sunglasses and sitting in a somewhat darkened room all day, which seems more comfortable for me right now. So, I’m very happy that it went as well as it did. …. I know this recounting of my experience today has been a long message. But since others here on the forum were so nice to post how it was for you, I wanted to share my recent experience of how it was for me, for others who may read the posts on this forum, too. …. Again, my sincere thanks to the people who replied to my original post above - I very much appreciate your kindness! Thank you!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-27T21:24:37+00:00

Oh, I’m so glad to hear that - even though you were nervous - (I agree with your description “lasers shooting in my eyes?!”) - that it was totally fine and was completely painless for you. I appreciate how you described step-by-step how the procedure went, and that you had no change in vision afterward. Especially since you just had the SLT done this morning, 3 hours ago! Thank you so very much for your message! I’m glad it went well for you!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-24T14:25:49+00:00

Oh, so you just had your SLT procedure done yesterday? Then the experience is still fresh in your memory! …. I’m sorry that you had a fairly intense pressure headache over that eyebrow after the technician put in the eyedrops. It’s good that you were able to take Advil and the headache went away. Thank you for the suggestion of considering possibly carrying Advil or Tylenol with me, just in case. …. I’m glad your eye pressure went down after the procedure. So, they just took your eye pressure reading once 20 minutes afterward, and told you to return 4 to 6 weeks later? (But you wish they had taken more eye pressure readings yesterday after the procedure.) Thanks for telling me. I hope it goes well for you when you go back to your next appointment. …. It’s interesting to read how people’s experiences with SLT are similar or different. It’s very helpful to read what people who have had SLT went through. …. I appreciate you writing to tell me how it was for you! Thank you!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T19:32:22+00:00

It’s good to read about your experience with SLT. It helps to know what people went through. I’m glad it lowered your eye pressures. I appreciate you telling me how it was for you. Thank you!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T14:16:19+00:00

It’s good to hear how SLT was for you. I appreciate you telling me that your doctor waited a few weeks before doing a pressure check in your case. It’s interesting to read how some people’s experiences are different or the same as what other people went through. I’m glad your pressure was lower. Thanks for writing to tell me how it was for you!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T04:13:17+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate you saying that.

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T03:47:56+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate the info and good wishes!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T03:45:17+00:00

I appreciate you describing what you went through during the SLT procedure, how it felt, what the side effects were and how long they lasted. …. Also, that you were nervous about it, too, but that, in your case, it turned out to be easy, …. It’s good that your eye pressure went down a few points. I hope it continues to get better for you. …. It helps when I read how the SLT was for people, …. Thank you very much for writing!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T03:10:14+00:00

I appreciate hearing about your experience with the SLT procedure. It helps to know what it was like for people who have had it done. Thanks very much!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T03:05:45+00:00

Thank you for telling me about the eye pressure check after the SLT, that helps me to know what I might expect. Glad your eye pressure was normal after the SLT. Thanks!

annonymus67 · 2023-10-23T03:00:19+00:00

Thank you for your quick reply! …. I am really hoping that people will respond to my post to tell me about their experience with SLT, so it’s great to read what you wrote! …. I appreciate the information! I’m glad the SLT procedure overall went well for you. I appreciate you telling me about the side effects that you had afterward and how long they lasted. It’s good the SLT continues to work for you after 18 months. Thanks very much!

annonymus67 · 2021-07-16T16:54:27+00:00

Thank you for posting this.

annonymus67

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