Numerical Simulation of Iridectomy for Surgical Treatment of Glaucoma

Pupillary block can lead to a convex bowing of the iris surface due to the increased posterior chamber pressures, and this, in turn, can partially block the outflow pathway through the Trabecular Meshwork (TM). This condition leads to Angle-closure glaucoma by elevating the Intraocular Pressure (IOP) of the eye to very high levels. To alleviate this condition, a surgical process called iridectomy can be performed to create an opening on the iris surface that enables an alternate route for the flow from the posterior chamber to the anterior chamber. This, in turn, reduces the elevated pressure in the eye. In the present work, flow simulations are performed in a three-dimensional model of the human eye, with reduced irido-lenticular gap and partial-blockage of the TM, to model the flow and pressure distribution associated with pupillary block and angle-closure glaucoma. Iridectomy is simulated by creating holes on the iris surface at different locations. The effect of angular locations of the iridectomy holes on the pressure and flow distributions are analyzed.