Age Related Macular Degeneration
 
Age-related Macular Degeneration, or AMD, is the commonest cause of blindness in Australia, typically affecting people over 60 years of age. Specialists at the Vision Eye Institute Drummoyne are highly experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of AMD using leading edge technology and modern therapies.

What is AMD?

It is a degenerative condition of the macula. The macula is the central part of the retina which is responsible for fine vision (reading, writing, recognising faces).
 
AMD can be classified into dry AMD or wet AMD. The commonest type is dry AMD which leads to a gradual degeneration of the macula and very gradual loss of vision. In wet AMD, which is the more aggressive type of AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow and leak underneath the macula, causing it to become damaged, leading to a rapid loss of vision which is often severe if left untreated.
 
What are the symptoms of Macular Degeneration?
 
In the early stages, there may be no symptoms. However, as the AMD progresses, most patients with dry AMD will notice difficulty in reading as words become blurred. People with wet AMD may notice that straight lines appear bent or wavy. They may have difficulty recognising small objects and faces.
 
These changes are important symptoms and if they occur you should contact your optometrist or ophthalmologist promptly.
 
How is AMD diagnosed?
 
Many people do not realise they have AMD until their vision is affected. An eye specialist can examine the macula and identify early changes. If Wet AMD is suspected, special tests called optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiogram are usually required. OCT is a very quick, safe and painless test which scans the macula to look for fluid leaks which occur in Wet AMD. Fluorescein angiography is used to locate exactly where the leaking blood vessels are. In this test, dye is injected into a vein in the arm. The dye travels through the body, and a special camera takes a series of digital photographs of the macula, allowing the doctor to identify the most suitable treatment.
 
What is the treatment for AMD?
 
Various measures can decrease the risk of the disease getting worse. These include:
 
Vitamin Supplements - certain combinations of vitamins can reduce the chance of AMD getting worse by about one quarter.
 
Stopping smoking - it is important to stop smoking at the earliest sign of this condition because smoking is a major risk factor for AMD.
           
Dietary changes - various foods protect against the development of Wet AMD, including nuts and fish oils.
 
With Wet AMD, several different treatments are possible:
 
1. Avastin and Lucentis Injections
These medicines are both very new treatments which are offered by specialists at the Vision Eye Institute Drummoyne. These medicines can stop blood vessels under the retina from leaking and appear to be the best treatment for Wet AMD as they have been proven to improve vision in a significant number of people. They are injected into the eye, and may need to be repeated several times over the course of several months. No other treatment seems to improve vision; other treatments can only decrease the rate at which things get worse.
 
2. Thermal laser treatment and photodynamic Therapy (PDT) – these are older treatments which are much less frequently used because they do not usually stop further loss of vision.
 
Depending upon your individual circumstances and response to treatment, a combination of the above treatments may be recommended.