It is recommended in eyes which have the angle closed for at least half the eye and have high eye pressure or glaucoma. In eyes which have a closed angle but normal eye pressure and no optic nerve damage, laser iridotomy may be recommended as a preventive treatment.

When is an iridotomy performed?

LPI should be performed in every eye suspected of having a Plateau Iris configuration, since it eliminates any pupillary block component. These eyes present a thicker iris and an anteversion of the ciliary body and these anatomical factors predict failure of a laser iridotomy to open an appositionally closed angle.

Why do they do iridotomy?

The elevated eye pressure can damage the optic nerve. Laser iridotomy is a procedure to treat narrow angles, chronic angle-closure glaucoma, and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The impact of an acute-angle closure glaucoma attack is profound and irreversible, and the condition must be treated immediately.