Treatment

There is no proven medical therapy for dry macular degeneration. However there are several treatments for Wet macular degeneration.

Treatments options for Wet Macular Degeneration

The Wet form of ARMD need to be treated as soon as it has been detected. There are several . Dr. Campbell will discuss all the optins that are out there for you. In fact at times he will suggest a combination of treatments. These different forms of therapy are for those who experience central vision loss from the classic form of Wet ARMD, the leading cause of blindness in people over age 50 in the Western world.

These Therapies include:

Laser Photocoagulation
While this process cannot restore lost vision, it seals the abnormal blood vessels. This prevents further vision deterioration in certain types of Wet Macular Degeneration.
In laser photocoagulation, a laser is used to destroy the abnormal blood vessels under the retina. Since the heat of the laser also destroys overlying healthy retinal tissue, a permanent blind spot will result anywhere the laser is applied. Thus, laser photocoagulation is useful if the abnormal blood vessels are not in the center of vision. If they are in the center however, laser to this area will lead to permanent loss of vision.

Photodynamic Therapy with Visudyne
There is a way to treat abnormal blood vessels in the center of the eye. It’s called Visudyne Therapy.
Even with Visudyne Therapy there may be some loss of vision. However, it’s less severe that laser photocoagulation or no treatment at all. Visudyne therapy cannot restore lost vision.
In Visudyne Therapy, a light-activated drug known as Visudyne (verteporfin for injection) is injected in to the bloodstream. The drug travels in the bloodstream and collects in the abnormal blood vessels, where it is activated by a non-thermal laser (a laser that does not burn the retina). This produces a reaction that closes the abnormal vessels without causing damage to the overlying retina.
Visudyne Therapy is a multi-course treatment. The desired result cannot be achieved with just one or two treatments. Multiple treatments are necessary because leakage often reoccurs and the abnormal blood vessels may return after treatment. However, Visudyne can be reapplied at up to three-month intervals, if necessary. A typical treatment schedule for eligible AMD patients is three treatments in the first year, two times in the second year, and one to two treatments in the third year.

Macugen Injection
Macugen is an FDA-approved treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Macugen blocks a key signal that causes abnormal vessels to grow and leak. By helping to slow the growth of these abnormal blood vessels, Macugen can slow the damage they do to your site.

The goal of therapy with Macugen is to help slow the progression of your disease and preserve your vision. In clinical trials, patients receiving Macugen lost less vision on average than patients who did not receive
Macugen. However, results may vary from person to person. This medicine is injected into the eye every 6 to 8 weeks. The medicine has shown to slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels, slowing the damage to your sight. Results may vary from patient to patient. Refer to the Macugen website above for further details.

Lucentis injection
Lucentis is an FDA-approved treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In clinical studies, patients treated monthly for up to 2 years saw their vision stabilize or improve. In fact, 9 out of 10 people
saw their vision stabilize (which means they lost fewer than 15 letters on the eye chart), and up to 4 out of 10 people saw a 3-line gain on the eye chart (which means they could see an additional 15 letters)
This medicine is injected into the eye every 4 to 6 weeks. Refer to the Lucentis website above for further details. Also, an Avastin injection is used by the doctors. Avastin is a non-FDA approved treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but is safe and extremely similar to Lucentis.