A laser surgery is fairly quick. It takes around 15 - 20 minutes. At times it can even go faster than that. The procedure is non-invasive. There are no cuts or wounds. But it can still cause dry eyes due to the nature of the surgery. Incisional surgery is a lot more invasive. But sometimes your glaucoma test will show you need that type of eye surgery to prevent vision loss. The basic idea is to lay a new drainage channel. The name for the artificial tubes is "shunt". The shunt is an artificial channel attached to the eye. The eye needs protection for the day following the operation. Patients get a patch and shield placed over the eye. The eye needs protection for several days.