Patient Guide
Glaucoma is usually lifelong, so the specialist you choose may watch over your sight for decades. No ranking site can tell you who is right for your eyes, but you can learn what actually separates an excellent glaucoma specialist from an average one.
Step 1
Many eye doctors treat glaucoma. A glaucoma specialist has completed extra training devoted to it, and every part of that claim can be checked in public records in a few minutes.
Board certification means the doctor passed the American Board of Ophthalmology's rigorous written and oral examinations, and you can verify any ophthalmologist's status free on the ABO's public directory. A glaucoma fellowship means an additional year or more of training devoted entirely to glaucoma at an academic center after residency: diagnosing it, tracking it, and operating on it. It is the clearest single marker of a true glaucoma specialist.
Research is the hardest credential to fake. A specialist whose glaucoma work is indexed on PubMed — the National Library of Medicine's database — has had it reviewed and accepted by other scientists, not by a marketing agency. Recognition from fellow physicians, such as a peer-voted Top Doctor list, tells you other doctors would trust this person with their own families.
Board certification from the American Board of Ophthalmology
A glaucoma fellowship at a named academic center — not vague "advanced training"
Peer-reviewed glaucoma research indexed on PubMed
Recognition from other physicians, such as a peer-voted Top Doctor list
Membership in the American Glaucoma Society
A worked example: Dr. Medi Eslani is a board-certified ophthalmologist (Diplomate, American Board of Ophthalmology) who completed his residency and glaucoma fellowship at the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, under Dr. Robert N. Weinreb, and was named a 2026 Top Doctor in ophthalmology by San Diego Magazine in a peer vote of San Diego physicians. Every one of those claims can be independently verified — and that is exactly the standard you should hold any specialist to, including him.
Step 2
Glaucoma care is a ladder, from drops to laser to surgery. A specialist who offers only one rung tends to recommend it, whether or not it is the right fit for your eyes.
Diagnosis
Glaucoma is managed by measuring change. Look for OCT imaging of the optic nerve, visual field testing, and eye pressure checks repeated on a schedule, so progression is caught early instead of after vision is lost.
Options
Drops, SLT laser, sustained-release implants such as Durysta and iDose TR, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), and traditional surgery when it is needed. Breadth means the choice is made for your eye, not for the practice's equipment.
MIGS
MIGS procedures such as iStent infinite, Hydrus, OMNI, Kahook Dual Blade, and GATT lower eye pressure through tiny incisions, usually with a faster recovery than traditional surgery, and many can be combined with cataract surgery. Ask which ones a specialist performs personally.
Honesty
Vision already lost to glaucoma cannot be restored. A good specialist says so plainly, sets a realistic target for your eye pressure, and explains the risks of every option before recommending one.
At the Consultation
Bring this list with you. A specialist worth choosing will welcome every question on it.
Are you board-certified, and where did you complete your glaucoma fellowship?
What type of glaucoma do I have, and how advanced is it?
What is my target eye pressure, and how did you choose it?
Which tests will you use to track my glaucoma, and how often?
Am I a candidate for SLT laser instead of, or in addition to, drops?
Which MIGS procedures do you perform yourself?
Could my glaucoma be treated at the same time as cataract surgery?
If my pressure isn't controlled, what is the next step?
Will you personally see me at my follow-up visits?
What will my treatment cost, and what does insurance cover?
If a practice bristles at these questions, that is an answer in itself.
Caution
None of these alone means a poor specialist, but two or three together tell you how your glaucoma will be managed over the years.
A diagnosis made without visual field testing or optic nerve imaging
Drops renewed year after year, with no discussion of laser or surgery
Every patient steered toward the same procedure
Pressure checks with no stated target or plan
The risks of surgery brushed aside instead of explained
Follow-up visits where you only ever see staff, never the specialist
Held to the Same Standard
This guide only means something if Dr. Eslani passes his own tests. Apply every one of them to him — that is what it is here for.
Training
Residency and glaucoma fellowship at the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, training under Dr. Robert N. Weinreb, one of the world's foremost authorities on glaucoma — and board-certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Recognition
Named a 2026 Top Doctor in ophthalmology by San Diego Magazine in a peer vote of San Diego physicians. His honors include the Heed Fellowship Award and a Top Poster award from the American Glaucoma Society.
Technology
SLT, Durysta and iDose TR, iStent infinite, Hydrus, OMNI, Kahook Dual Blade, GATT, and the Xen Gel Stent — and the first surgeon in Southern California invited to test the new OMNI Ultra system before its official launch.
Research
Former Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with 66 publications indexed on PubMed and more than 3,600 citations by other researchers, including glaucoma research at UC San Diego.
FAQ
Bring every question in this guide to a consultation with Dr. Eslani.