Does surgery guarantee cure for glaucoma and freedom from glaucoma medication for a lifetime?

I wish it were true. In 80-90% of cases, the visual fields may stop deteriorating and the pressure may remain below target forever. However there is a 10-20% possibility of the pressure remaining uncontrolled or visual fields continuing to worsen even after uneventful surgery. This may happen immediately after surgery or even several years after seeming ‘cure’. Therefore, even after successful surgery you should continue to see your eye surgeon at regular intervals as called, to confirm, “all is still well”! More importantly, we must realize that at best, surgery can only prevent further loss of vision- it cannot restore vision already lost, unlike cataract surgery. In other words, delaying glaucoma treatment, medical or surgical, is like going down a one way street- there is no coming back!