If medications do not control eye pressure, or if they create intolerable side effects, surgery may be necessary in a small percentage of people with chronic glaucoma. It may be particularly helpful for patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

The standard procedures are usually one of the following:

• Filtration surgery (trabeculectomy). This procedure opens the full thickness of the drainage area.
• Laser trabeculoplasty. This procedure partially opens the drainage area. It does not reduce pressure to the extent of trabeculectomy but it has fewer adverse effects. It is not widely performed in the UK, but may have a good efect on some forms of glaucoma, especially pseudoexfoliation. 

In addition, a number of less invasive procedures are under development.