News - National
New hope for patients with macular degeneration
Posted: Jul 8, 2010 10:15 AM by Bea Karnes, News First 5
Updated: Jul 8, 2010 10:17 AM
To combat the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, the Food and Drug Administration has approved use of a telescope that's implanted directly into the eye.
The implantable miniature telescope is placed in the center of one eye to help with loss of central vision that affects patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration. The other eye would still be able to see peripheral vision.
Patients who get the telescope need to go through rehab to teach the brain how to see properly.
The implantable telescope comes with risks including a worsening of vision.
It is approved for a select group of patients with macular degeneration. Candidates for the surgery must be over age 75 and also have a cataract.
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