Mitchell is able to provide advice on all aspects of glaucoma diagnosis and management, and performs all forms of glaucoma laser and surgery.

This includes cataract surgery for closed angle glaucoma, “cataract plus” procedures to reduce dependence on eye drops for glaucoma, trabeculectomy filtration surgery, and tube shunt surgery. His particular areas of interest are normal tension glaucoma, and the surgical management of complex secondary glaucomas.

You can read detailed information on the procedures Mitchell conducts below.

A normal part of the ageing process involves the lens of the eye become progressively more cloudy. Once the cloudiness starts to diminish vision, we call it a cataract. The right time to consider cataract surgery is when the patient notices that their vision is not as good as they would like, and their ophthalmologist confirms that cataract is the cause of the vision loss.

In the last few years there has been a change in options for patients with glaucoma and cataract. A number of recent studies support cataract surgery for the treatment of angle closure glaucoma in certain patients. For other patients with open-angle glaucoma, cataract surgery may provide an opportunity to implant a micro-stent at the same time, as a method of trying to minimise the number of medications required to control glaucoma.

Associate Professor Lawlor performs a large number of cataract surgeries in patients with or without glaucoma. He can provide advice as to the right timing for surgery for you, and how to ensure the best vision possible following surgery.

This procedure was developed in the United Kingdom back in the 1960s and still remains one of the most effective operations available. A small trapdoor is made into the eye under the upper eyelid, and this allows controlled flow of fluid from inside the eye to outside the eye. The eye tries to scar up the operation site, and therefore intensive management is required postoperatively to minimise the chance of this occurring.

   Download a copy of the trabeculectomy information sheet (PDF 599KB)

This surgery involves implanting a small plastic tube into the eye, which allows fluid to flow outside the eye and to reduce the eye pressure. A number of studies have shown that in an eye that has already had some form of surgery, a tube operation on average will continue to function for longer than a trabeculectomy.

After completing his surgical training in Australia, Associate Professor Lawlor moved to the UK and worked with Dr Keith Barton, the surgeon who performs the most tube implants of any surgeon in the UK. Associate Professor Lawlor obtained experience in operating on some of the most difficult cases from across the United Kingdom and Europe.

Associate Professor Lawlor continues to perform a large number of tube surgeries, and has developed a new technique of placing the tube behind the iris to minimise damage to the cornea. (See video below)