Glaucoma Unit
The Ophthalmology team at St. Michael’s Hospital offers comprehensive ophthalmological care through an Eye Clinic, as well as a full range of ophthalmology subspecialty services relating to the cornea and anterior segment, glaucoma, the retina, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, ocular pathology, strabismus and uveitis.
Related Programs
Location
St. Michael’s Hospital
Toronto, ON
M5B 1W8
The main entrance is located near Queen St. East and Victoria St. The Bond St. entrance is not open to the public at this time.
8th Floor
Donnelly Wing
Patients
Glaucoma is a disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve. The optic nerve is connected to the retina — a layer of light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye — and is made up of many nerve fibers, like an electric cable is made up of many wires. It is the optic nerve that sends signals from your retina to your brain, where these signals are interpreted as the images you see.
In the healthy eye, a clear fluid called aqueous (pronounced AY-kwee-us) humor circulates inside the front portion of your eye. To maintain a constant healthy eye pressure, your eye continually produces a small amount of aqueous humor while an equal amount of this fluid flows out of your eye. If you have glaucoma, the aqueous humor does not flow out of the eye properly. Fluid pressure in the eye builds up and, over time, causes damage to the optic nerve fibers.
There are several types of glaucoma:
- Open-angle glaucoma
- Normal-tension glaucoma
- Closed-angle glaucoma (or Narrow-angle glaucoma or Angle-closure glaucoma)
- Congenital glaucoma
- Secondary glaucoma