Glaucoma drainage implants are often referred to as tube shunts. In this procedure, a tube made out of synthetic material is passed into the eye to provide an accessory drainage pathway for fluid from inside the eye. The fluid flows through the tube and to a plate that is secured to the sclera, or white wall of the eye. Over the plate grows a dome of scar tissue that forms a fluid pocket. Fluid flows from inside the eye, through the tube and into the fluid pocket. Finally, fluid passes into the bloodstream. There are many different kinds of tube shunts and the specifics of a tube shunt procedure may vary depending upon the type of shunt implanted.
