Health
Visudyne Treats Macular Degeneration
Visudyne therapy, approved by the FDA in 2000, has been a major breakthrough for treatment of "wet age-related macular degeneration," or AMD.
AMD is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye. Fluid leaking from the blood vessels causes scarring and loss of central vision. As patients lose their ability to see straight on, they rely on their peripheral vision. Eventually, the condition can destroy a person's ability to read and recognize loved ones' faces in a few months.
Dr. Paul Sternberg Jr., an Emory University retinal specialist, praised the drug. "Before, very little could be done to prevent vision loss in people with this form of AMD."
Initially, the treatment can be used for about 20 percent to 40 percent of patients with wet AMD, Sternberg said. In the outpatient procedure, the drug Visudyne is injected into the arm, then concentrates in abnormal blood vessels behind the retina. A laser light activates the drug in the affected area, closing abnormal blood vessels and sealing off the leakage without damaging the surrounding area.
AMD is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye. Fluid leaking from the blood vessels causes scarring and loss of central vision. As patients lose their ability to see straight on, they rely on their peripheral vision. Eventually, the condition can destroy a person's ability to read and recognize loved ones' faces in a few months.
Dr. Paul Sternberg Jr., an Emory University retinal specialist, praised the drug. "Before, very little could be done to prevent vision loss in people with this form of AMD."
Initially, the treatment can be used for about 20 percent to 40 percent of patients with wet AMD, Sternberg said. In the outpatient procedure, the drug Visudyne is injected into the arm, then concentrates in abnormal blood vessels behind the retina. A laser light activates the drug in the affected area, closing abnormal blood vessels and sealing off the leakage without damaging the surrounding area.
