Severe vision
loss from macular degeneration occurs from the wet form of the disease
where abnormal blood vessels ("membranes") grow beneath
the retina. The blood vessels leak fluid, blood and protein which eventually
coagulate to form a scar. Laser
surgery was the first proven treatment for "wet" macular
degeneration. Patients
with membranes near but not beneath the center of vision may be treated
with laser to destroy the abnormal blood vessels.
If the membrane is beneath the center of vision ("subfoveal"),
laser treatment may still be recommended if the membrane is small
and the vision is poor. Unfortunately,
most of these "subfoveal" membranes are large and laser
treatment itself reduces vision even more.
Thus, many of the new treatments that have been developed are
for these "subfoveal" membranes.
Problems with laser treatment include the risk of recurring
blood vessels (especially in hypertensive patients) and the thermal
destruction of the surrounding tissue (retina) along with the blood
vessels. |
Laser
Treatments
Fluorescein
Angiography
ICG
Angiography
Photodynamic
Therapy (PDT)
Pharmacologic
Therapies
Macular
Translocation Surgery
Submacular
Surgery
Retinal
Transplantation
Radiation
Therapy
Genetics
Nutrition
Other
Treatments
|
