MIGS glaucoma surgery in Richardson starts with a pressure goal.
Richardson's corporate corridor means you're used to efficiency — but glaucoma care shouldn't be rushed. Patients from Canyon Creek, Cottonwood, Prairie Creek, and the US-75 tech corridor drive 15 minutes north to Plano for a surgeon who sets the pressure goal first, then chooses the device to reach it.
Glaucoma doesn't care about your schedule. But your surgeon should care about your nerve.
"Keep using your drops and we'll see you in six months" is not a treatment plan. Along the US-75 corridor — Cisco, Texas Instruments, Blue Cross Blue Shield, MetLife — that answer tends to send people looking for the data instead.
The consultation starts with fresh imaging: gonioscopy to assess drainage angle structure, OCT to measure optic nerve cupping and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and automated visual field testing. Dr. Shehz compares it against your prior records, which our team transfers directly from your Richardson provider, to establish a progression rate and set a target pressure accounting for your age, nerve reserve, and risk tolerance.
We frequently see the same profile here: professionals in their 50s and 60s caught between early glaucoma and early cataracts. For them MIGS combined with cataract surgery is often the efficient path — one procedure, one anesthesia, one recovery, with a pressure-lowering device placed while the eye is already open. Which device fits, iStent through iDose, depends on angle anatomy, pressure target, and drop burden.
The same rigor a Richardson engineer would expect from any technical briefing. Applied to their own optic nerve.
i.
One surgeon, full accountability.
The physician who evaluates your nerve damage is the one who selects and places the device. No handoff between exam room and operating room.
ii.
Data before device.
Your target pressure is set by nerve status, progression rate, and life expectancy — not by which device is in stock. The plan is explained with the same rigor you'd expect in any technical decision.
iii.
Records transfer handled for you.
Our team contacts your Richardson provider, pulls your OCT baselines and visual field series, and has everything ready before your consultation so nothing is repeated unnecessarily.
02/Understanding your options
Understanding your glaucoma treatment options.
Glaucoma is not a single disease — it is a family of optic neuropathies where elevated or fluctuating intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve over time, gradually narrowing the visual field. Because peripheral vision disappears first and painlessly, most patients don't notice the loss until it's significant. That's why glaucoma is called the 'silent thief of sight,' and why a proactive treatment plan matters more than waiting for symptoms.
Traditional management starts with prescription eye drops — one, two, sometimes three or four bottles a day. Drops work for many patients, but compliance is imperfect, side effects accumulate, and the daily burden grinds. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) offers a drop-free alternative for some, while advanced disease may require filtration surgery such as trabeculectomy or tube shunt. Between drops and traditional surgery sits MIGS: minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
MIGS procedures — iStent, Hydrus, goniotomy, canaloplasty, Durysta, and iDose — use tiny devices or micro-incisions to lower pressure with less tissue disruption than traditional surgery, often at the same time as cataract removal. They don't replace traditional surgery for advanced glaucoma, but for mild-to-moderate disease they can meaningfully reduce drop burden, stabilize pressure, and protect remaining nerve fiber. The right device depends on your angle anatomy, pressure history, optic nerve status, and whether cataract surgery is already in the plan.
03/MIGS device options
Micro-invasive procedures matched to your pressure goals.
Which device fits depends on your pressure readings, nerve health, drop burden, and whether cataract surgery is part of the plan. Dr. Shehz walks through each option with you at consultation.
Trabecular micro-bypass stent
iStent
One of the smallest medical devices ever made, iStent is placed during cataract surgery to create a permanent opening in the trabecular meshwork, improving the natural outflow of aqueous humor and reducing intraocular pressure for mild-to-moderate open-angle glaucoma.
Hydrus is a flexible, crescent-shaped micro-stent that scaffolds open a large section of Schlemm's canal — the eye's natural drainage channel — during cataract surgery, providing a broader pressure-lowering effect than a single-point bypass.
Goniotomy removes a strip of diseased trabecular meshwork to restore direct drainage into Schlemm's canal. No implant is left behind, and it can be performed alone or combined with cataract surgery depending on the clinical picture.
Canaloplasty dilates and opens the full 360 degrees of Schlemm's canal using a microcatheter, restoring the eye's natural outflow system without leaving a permanent implant. It may suit patients whose angle anatomy supports a canal-based approach.
Durysta is a biodegradable implant placed inside the eye that slowly releases bimatoprost over months, reducing pressure without the burden of daily drop administration. It is a medication-delivery option, not a drainage device.
iDose TR is a tiny titanium implant placed inside the eye that continuously delivers travoprost directly to the trabecular meshwork, offering sustained pressure control and reducing or eliminating daily drop use for appropriate patients.
Every quote below is a real, public Google review — part of the 5.0-star rating across 92 reviews on our profile.
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Dr. Shez is the most informative and detail oriented LASIK doctor I have met in my entire life. With other LASIK doctors, the volume of patients they have is so high that they don't take the time to discuss with you what your options are. Dr. Shez on the other hand took over an hour the first time I visited and made sure to explain to me the variety of… Read full review
Mark LamGoogle Review
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I had a great experience with Visionary Eye Surgery and Dr. Shehz throughout my LASIK journey. From the consultation to the follow-ups, the staff was professional, patient, and reassuring every step of the way.
Even when I had a healing complication with one eye early on, they took care of it immediately, stayed in close contact with me, and made sure I… Read full review
Christopher RojasGoogle Review
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I had lasik and it was the easiest process! No pain and Dr. Shehz is amazing! I definitely recommend visionary eye and should have done this years ago.
Britney CantunaGoogle Review
05/Getting here
The drive is the easy part.
The route
US-75 north from Richardson — about 15 minutes to the Plano flagship. Exit at Independence Parkway, ground floor with free patient parking.
The first visit is a comprehensive glaucoma evaluation with fresh imaging — OCT, visual field, gonioscopy, and pressure measurement. Plan on about 90 minutes. Bring your medication list, prior test results, and insurance card. Many Richardson patients schedule around their work day and return to the office the same morning.
Open Monday–Friday 8:00–5:00 and Saturday 9:00–3:00, with English- and Spanish-speaking staff. Questions before booking? Call 214-972-2020 and a human answers.
06/FAQ
Questions patients ask, answered straight.
Don't see your question? Call 214-972-2020 or book a visit and ask Dr. Shehz directly.
How far is Visionary Eye from Richardson for glaucoma patients?
About 15 minutes north on US-75. Exit at Independence Parkway and you're at the door. Free parking, ground-floor suite — most Richardson patients treat it like any other north-bound work errand.
I was just diagnosed with glaucoma at my Richardson eye doctor. What should I do next?
A second evaluation by a surgeon who performs MIGS is a reasonable next step — especially if surgery or drop reduction is on the table. We'll review your Richardson provider's testing, repeat key measurements, and give you a pressure-lowering plan based on your specific nerve status and angle anatomy.
Can I keep seeing my Richardson optometrist for routine monitoring?
Absolutely. After the surgical plan is set and early post-op visits are complete, your Richardson OD can handle pressure checks and visual field monitoring on their regular schedule. We coordinate directly and stay available if pressures drift or the plan needs adjustment.
Is MIGS covered by my employer's insurance?
MIGS performed with medically necessary cataract surgery is typically covered by most commercial plans and Medicare. Coverage for standalone MIGS or sustained-release implants varies by carrier. We verify your specific benefits before scheduling and provide a written cost breakdown.
What's the recovery like after MIGS?
Recovery is generally lighter than traditional glaucoma surgery. Most patients use prescription drops for a few weeks and return to normal activities within days. If MIGS is combined with cataract surgery, the recovery timeline follows cataract surgery norms — most patients see clearly within 24 to 48 hours.
I'm on three different glaucoma drops. Can MIGS reduce that burden?
That's one of the primary goals of MIGS — reducing the number of daily drops while maintaining or improving pressure control. Whether you reach zero, one, or two drops depends on your nerve status, target pressure, and the device placed. Dr. Shehz will set realistic expectations during your evaluation.
What if I need traditional glaucoma surgery instead of MIGS?
If your glaucoma is advanced — significant nerve damage, very low target pressure, or progression despite current treatment — Dr. Shehz will explain why MIGS may not provide enough pressure reduction and discuss trabeculectomy, tube shunt, or referral to a glaucoma sub-specialist.
Still have questions?
Talk to our team, no pressure, no sales pitch. We answer the question, not the upsell.
Cataracts clouding the picture too? The most efficient path may be a single combined procedure.
Richardson patients with both glaucoma and cataracts often benefit from combining MIGS with premium cataract surgery — one trip to the OR, one recovery, and a pressure-lowering device placed during the same procedure. Dr. Shehz performs both in the same Plano facility.
Ready to review your pressure plan? Richardson to Plano is 15 minutes — not a commitment.
Book a glaucoma consultation, bring your records and drop list, and get a written pressure-lowering plan before any device is chosen. About 15 minutes north on US-75. Call 214-972-2020 or book online.
