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East Hospital’s Ophthalmology Clinic offers innovative and minimally invasive methods for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment
During the World Glaucoma Week, which in 2026 will take place from 8 to 14 March, leading specialists from the Ophthalmology Clinic of Riga East Clinical Hospital (East Hospital) will remind the public about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma – a very serious eye disease. Unfortunately, without timely diagnosis and treatment, glaucoma can lead to irreversible vision loss.
During the World Glaucoma Week, visitors to the Ophthalmology Clinic at the Biķernieki Inpatient Facility of East Hospital will have the opportunity to view materials prepared by the clinic’s specialists/ophthalmologists that highlight the importance of timely diagnosis of glaucoma and provide insights into the latest developments in the treatment and research-related challenges. Meanwhile, on 11 March 2026, the Biķernieki Inpatient Facility of East Hospital will host an educational seminar titled “World Glaucoma Week 2026”, inviting all specialists involved in eye disease prevention and timely glaucoma diagnosis and treatment.
According to the physicians form the Ophthalmology Clinic of East Hospital, annual eye examinations are recommended to detect glaucoma and other eye diseases early. Regular eye examinations are of special importance for people over the age of 45. A comprehensive eye examination includes a fundus examination after pupil dilation, imaging of the retina and optic nerve using optical coherence tomography (a high-precision imaging method), and visual field testing. Based on the examination results, the ophthalmologist recommends personalised treatment. Depending on the stage of glaucoma and the patient’s health condition, treatment may include medication, laser procedures, or surgical interventions.
The Ophthalmology Clinic of East Hospital performs the highest number of glaucoma operations in Latvia – over 630 operations annually. Associate Professor Kristīne Baumane, leading ophthalmologist of the day hospital, Gunta Blezūra-Ūdre, and the leading ophthalmologist of the inpatient facility, Elīza Briede, specialise in glaucoma treatment and perform a variety of innovative surgical procedures on a daily basis, using effective and minimally invasive methods, including PreserFlo MicroShunt implantation (a small implant that helps drain intraocular fluid and reduce intraocular pressure).
Selective laser trabeculoplasty – a modern laser procedure that improves the outflow of intraocular fluid and reduces intraocular pressure – is an alternative to medication-based treatment in the early stages of glaucoma. It is performed on an outpatient basis and in some cases may be the first and only method needed to reduce intraocular pressure. This procedure is performed by glaucoma specialists Lāsma Volksone and Gunta Blezūra-Ūdre, Associate Professor Kristīne Baumane, and the young ophthalmologists Ieva Briede and Renāte Plaude.
Micropulse cyclophotocoagulation – a non-invasive laser procedure during which repetitive pulses of laser energy are delivered to reduce the production of intraocular fluid and thereby to lower intraocular pressure – is performed at the clinic by leading physician Elīza Briede. This method has proven to be effective in the treatment of secondary glaucoma.
“We can reasonably consider ourselves a centre of excellence in glaucoma treatment, offering and ensuring the full range of glaucoma treatment options and applying innovative and minimally invasive glaucoma diagnostic and treatment methods,” points out Associate Professor Kristīne Baumane, Head of the Ophthalmology Clinic.
The clinic’s physicians were among the first in Europe to successfully introduce the gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) – a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery technique. Ophthalmologist Gunta Blezūra-Ūdre has performed over 800 surgeries using this technique, including combined GATT and cataract surgeries. This technique has been successfully applied for more than five years.
A high-resolution ocular ultrasound device (ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM)) allows to precisely identify the causes of secondary glaucoma, such as UGH syndrome (uveitis–glaucoma–hyphema) which is often associated with the incorrect positioning of an intraocular lens. These cases are successfully treated in cooperation with vitreoretinal surgeons Līga Radecka, Edijs Ustāns and Dārta Binfelde.
From 17 to 18 March this year, the clinic will welcome the leading glaucoma surgeon Dr. Marko Pastak from the Tartu University Eye Clinic who will perform Latvia’s first implantation of the Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implant together with Associate Professor Kristīne Baumane, Head of the Ophthalmology Clinic, and ophthalmologist Gunta Blezūra-Ūdre. This implant helps reduce intraocular pressure in patients for whom previous surgical procedures have not been sufficiently effective.
During the World Glaucoma Week, the leading ophthalmologists from the Ophthalmology Clinic of East Hospital will continue sharing their experience and expertise by inviting their colleagues to an educational seminar titled “World Glaucoma Week 2026” which is to take place on 11 March 2026. During the seminar, various aspects of the early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma will be presented and discussed among professionals. The seminar can be attended in person at the Biķernieki Inpatient Facility conference hall or online via the Zoom platform.
For more information, please visit: https://acuarstiem.lv/austrumu-slimnicas-oftalmologijas-klinikas-seminars-world-glaucoma-week-2026/
East Hospital’s Ophthalmology Clinic operates at the Biķernieki Inpatient Facility, specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmological diseases and providing emergency ophthalmologic care 24/7, both in the outpatient eye trauma unit and in the inpatient facility. The clinic has undergone rapid development, introducing new diagnostic and treatment methods in practice, performing cataract, glaucoma, and retinal surgeries using the latest and innovative technologies, as well as diagnosing and treating intraocular tumours and conducting other ophthalmologic surgeries and procedures.
In 2025, the European Society of Ophthalmology awarded the Ophthalmology Clinic a certificate confirming its compliance with the highest European standards. East Hospital’s Ophthalmology Clinic conducts clinical research in eye diseases, contributing to the improvement of patient care.
About the East Hospital
Riga East University Hospital is the largest and strategically significant multi-profile hospital in the country. The hospital consists of five inpatient facilities – Gaiļezers, Latvian Oncology Centre, Biķernieki, Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Centre, and Latvian Infectious Diseases Centre, along with various specialised centres and clinics. The hospital provides highly specialised inpatient and secondary outpatient healthcare, offering multidisciplinary tertiary-level treatment and care in line with modern technology and medical knowledge. Approximately 80% of all cancer patients in Latvia are treated at the hospital. It serves as a practical training base for both Latvian educational institutions and foreign students, providing further education and knowledge transfer to healthcare specialists within and beyond the country. The hospital engages in scientific research and develops innovative methods for patient treatment. As the third-largest employer in the country, the hospital employs around 5000 staff members.
