How is gonioscopy done?

  1. Your doctor will put a drop in your eyes to anaesthetize the cornea so that you do not feel any discomfort during the procedure.
  2. You will be asked to place your chin and forehead at the slit lamp for gonioscopy.
  3. The gonioscopy lens will gently touch your eye, and a beam of light is moved around to evaluate the whole angle circumference. In some cases, the doctor may carefully press the lens against your cornea to obtain more information, particularly in eyes at risk for angle closure glaucoma.

This is a painless procedure, and you can help your doctor obtain a better evaluation by maintaining your forehead and chin stable at the slit-lamp, eyes wide open, try to get used to the lens touching your cornea, try not to blink, and keep looking straight ahead.

Gonioscopy is the reference standard exam to evaluate the angle – where the drainage system of the eye is located. This exam requires placement of the patient at the slit lamp (a simple machine with an illumination and viewing system).


How is gonioscopy done? Fig. 1

Fig. 1. Gonioscopy examination.


How is gonioscopy done? Fig. 2

Fig. 2. Medical view of an open angle.


World Glaucoma Association

Important message for glaucoma patients

It is important for you to get yourself regularly screened for glaucoma. If you have been diagnosed to have glaucoma, effective treatment options are now available and regular treatment and follow up can help you to preserve your vision for your lifetime, avoiding unnecessary fear of going blind.

You can live happily with glaucoma and enjoy an excellent quality of life, particularly if the disease is detected early and treated in time. Always remember that once you have glaucoma, you will have to be under the care of an eye doctor for the rest of your life.

There is a lot of research going on and new treatments may become available for glaucoma in the near future.

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