Macular Degeneration Doctor

The eyeball is a hollow organ connected to the brain by the optic nerve. On entering the eye, the optic nerve spreads out in a thin layer of nervous tissue-the retina-and covers the inside of the eye like wallpaper.

For those with wet macular degeneration, the Food and Drug Administration has approved Visudyne®, a drug therapy for this form of the disease (also known as photodynamic therapy, PDT), and, as recently as 2005, a treatment called Macugen. Macugen (pegaptanib sodium injection) is the first effective treatment to help preserve vision across all subtypes of neovascular AMD. The neovascular “wet” form of macular degeneration is characterized by the invasion of new, poorly formed blood vessels beneath the retina. These new blood vessels are poorly formed and leak their contents into the retina and subretinal space, causing injury and scarring. Scientists are also studying laser treatments for dry macular degeneration.

Deterioration of the macula results in blurry vision when a person looks directly at an object; peripheral or side vision is unaffected. Macular degeneration in one eye usually indicates that the other is at risk of developing the disease. Regular examinations at home with the Amsler Grid are important for detecting early changes in people at risk of macular degeneration. Instructions on the proper use of the Amsler Grid are listed below. Patients with macular degeneration may still be able to perform visual tasks such as reading, writing, typing, and sewing with magnification and strong, focused lighting.

Instructions on using the Amsler Grid:

• Wear your reading or bifocal glasses.
• Cover the opposite eye. Test each eye separately.
• Look at the center dot.
• Keep your vision on it at all times.

While looking directly at the center and only the center, be sure that all of the lines are straight and all the small squares are the same size.

If any area on the grid becomes distorted, blurred, discolored, or otherwise abnormal, see one of our ophthalmologists immediately. At Southwestern Eye Center, we offer specialized treatment for macular degeneration. Call 480-854-8185 to schedule an appointment with one of our ophthalmologists in one of our multiple locations throughout Arizona.