Glaukos Corp. announced on Dec. 27 it has submitted a pre-market approval application to US FDA for its second-generation minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) iStent device used for treating glaucoma, the second-leading cause of blindness.

The rising aging population and ever-increasing incidences of glaucoma and cataract are clearing a bright path for the ophthalmic surgical products market, which is expected to reach $9.4bn by 2021, a CAGR of 4.6% from 2016. Meddevicetracker expects that continued innovation in minimally invasive technologies and next-generation surgical systems, developed by giants like Alcon and smaller rivals, will address the need of hundreds of millions of people suffering from cataract and glaucoma, the two leading causes of blindness globally. In this feature, we'll take a closer look at the overall market and the key players in the individual segments of surgical systems, surgical instruments and IOLs. We'll take a deep dive into the smallest, yet fastest-growing MIGS devices segment and talk to surgeons about how they're transforming glaucoma management for their patients.

Glaukos has emerged as the leader in microinvasive glaucoma surgery, a new treatment for the multibillion-dollar market. CEO Tom Burns lays out his vision for his company and for the future of MIGS.