Method for treating glaucoma

1. A method of treating glaucoma or other eye disease in a patient, comprising:

during eye surgery, injecting an eye of the patient with a cohesive monophasic gel comprising a cross-linked hyaluronic acid or its salt,

the injection being under a scleral flap and/or conjunctiva of the eye, thereby creating and maintaining a conjunctival bleb, and/or in a supra-scleral space of the eye thereby reducing the intraocular pressure,

wherein the concentration of the hyaluronic acid in the gel is in a range of 0.1% to 20% by weight,

wherein the cohesive monophasic gel comprises a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butanediol diglycidylether, 1,2,7,8-Diepoxyoctane, divinylsulfone, carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-cyclohexyl-N-(4-methylmorpholinium) ethyl carbodiimide.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-linked salt of hyaluronic acid is sodium hyaluronate.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cohesive monophasic gel comprises about 2.25% (w/w) of the hyaluronic acid or its salt.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-linked hyaluronic acid or its salt has a cross linking ratio of about 0.5% to about 50%.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gel is injected under a scleral flap of the patient.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gel is injected under conjunctiva of the patient.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gel is injected in a supra-scleral space of the patient.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the eye surgery comprises performing a trabeculectomy on the patient.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the trabeculectomy comprises:

applying peribulbar anesthesia;

dissecting the conjunctiva;

dissecting a scleral flap;

performing an opening to the anterior chamber of the eye;

performing an iridectomy;

creating an opening in the sclera bed, preferably at the fornix side of the scleral bed;

injecting the gel through the opening in the supra-choroidal (sub-scleral) space;

suturing the scleral flap;

injecting the gel under the scleral flap;

injecting the gel under the conjunctiva; and

suturing the conjunctiva.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method eye surgery comprises performing a viscocanalostomy performed on the patient.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the viscocanalostomy comprises:

applying peribulbar or topical anesthesia;

dissecting the conjunctiva

dissecting a first scleral flap at a site with at least one apparent collecting channel;

dissecting a second scleral flap close to a ciliary body;

creating a Trabeculo-Descemet-Membrane window;

unroofing a Schlemms' canal;

excising the second sclera flap;

inserting a canula into two ostia of the Schlemms' canal;

repeatedly injecting the gel into the two ostia;

creating an opening in the sclera bed, preferably at the fornix side of the scleral bed;

injecting the gel through the opening in the supra-scleral space;

suturing the first scleral flap;

injecting the gel below the first scleral flap;

injecting the gel under the conjunctiva to create a large conjunctival bleb; and

suturing the conjunctiva.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method eye surgery comprises performing a deep sclerectomy performed on the patient.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the deep sclerectomy comprises:

applying peribulbar or topical anesthesia;

dissecting the conjunctiva

dissecting a first scleral flap at a site with at least one apparent collecting channel;

dissecting a second scleral flap close to a ciliary body;

creating a Trabeculo-Descemet-Membrane window;

when reaching the Schlemm's canal, unroofing it;

excising the second scleral flap;

creating an opening in the sclera bed, at the fornix side of the scleral bed;

injecting the gel through said opening, in the supra-choroidal (sub-scleral) space;

suturing the first scleral flap;

injecting the gel below the first scleral flap;

injecting the gel under the conjunctiva to create a large conjunctival bleb; and

suturing the conjunctiva.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the eye surgery is glaucoma surgery.

15. A method of treating glaucoma or other eye disease in a patient, comprising:

during eye surgery, injecting the eye of the patient with a cohesive monophasic hydrogel comprising a cross-linked hyaluronic acid or its salt,

the injection being under a scleral flap and/or conjunctiva of the eye, thereby creating and maintaining a conjunctival bleb, and/or in a supra-choroidal (sub-scleral) space of the eye thereby reducing the intraocular pressure,

wherein the concentration of the hyaluronic acid or its salt in the hydrogel is in a range of 1.5% to 3% by weight, and

the cross-linked hyaluronic acid or its salt has a cross linking ratio of 2% to 20%.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the concentration of the hyaluronic acid or its salt in the hydrogel is about 2.25% and the cross linking ratio is about 5%.