What is macular degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a condition of the eye that is often related to aging. It is commonly referred to as age-related macular degeneration, and is often abbreviated as AMD.
Age related macular degeneration is the most common cause of legal blindness in the geriatric population in the west and is probably more common in India than believed. Dry ARMD causes thinning and atrophy of the macula with variable visual loss but is not amenable to any treatments as of now. The age related eye diseases study had suggested that antixidants in combination with zinc could reduce the risk of progression in selected groups of these patients.
Wet ARMD results from leakage or bleeding from choroidal neovascularisation and if untreated could lead to scarring and progressive visual loss. Conventional laser therapy has been to be effective in the management of only a selected group of patients with extrafoveal disease. Of the newer treatments available photodynamic therapy (PDT) and Transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) appear most promising.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Visudyne (Novartis)
The light sensitive drug- visudyne is injected into the patient’s bloodstream which accumulates in the abnormal new vessels in the eye. This drug is activated by a non-thermal laser which closes the abnormal vessels without damaging the overlying sensory retina. Studies have shown that PDT slows the progression and improves vision in some forms of the disease.

Transpupillary Thermotherapy (TTT)
TTT is a cost effective alternative in the disease forms not eligible for PDT. This is a low energy diode laser which directly closes the abnormal vessels with a small risk of damage to the overlying retina

Sub macular Surgery
Sub macular surgeries and macular translocation surgeries have been found to be effective in selected cases of advanced ARMD and is available at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai.