Mature Times

Revolutionary new treatment for Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) available in UK

28/04/2008

A woman in her seventies suffering from Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), is one of the first people in the world to benefit from revolutionary new surgery at the hands of Mr. Andrew Luff, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Spire Southampton Hospital.  'Barbara', who was diagnosed with AMD six years ago, was the first of Mr Luff’s patients to receive the Intraocular Lens for Visually Impaired People (IOL-VIP) in November 2007 - and it has transformed her everyday life.

IOL-VIP is a short day-case surgical procedure performed under local anaeshetic, and involves two plastic lenses being inserted into the eye. The lens behind the iris is a minifying glass and the lens in front is a magnifying glass. The combined effect is similar to that of a telescopic lens producing a larger image on the retina - so improving the patient’s near and far sight.

Patients generally see an improvement in their vision the very next day, and four weeks after surgery new glasses can be prescribed to maximise the benefits of the surgery.  IOL-VIP treatment can be performed in isolation or following cataract surgery as most people with AMD also have a degree of cataract.

Barbara said: “AMD is a devastating condition. I lost my central vision which meant I couldn’t see things that were right in front of me, including people’s faces and even the food on my plate. I couldn’t read, going out to dinner was impossible, my husband had to learn to cook and I was forced to stop driving. For someone who has always been totally self-reliant it’s a dreadful disability.

“Then I heard about Mr Luff and his new procedure. The operation was completely painless and stress-free - and it was all over in half an hour. When I removed my eye patch the next day I saw things I hadn’t seen for years and the colours were just wonderful. Life is so different now; I can shop in the supermarket and am hoping to start using the computer again. My long distance vision is greatly improved and the clinic is now teaching how me to perfect my sight."

Mr Luff commented: “Macular disease limits vision by producing a blind spot or area of impaired sight. The effect of IOL-VIP is to enlarge the image around the blind sport so that the area of impairment has less impact on the patient’s overall vision. In most people the degree of macular degeneration is different in each eye. In this instance the lenses are inserted only into the better eye. In patients where the loss of vision is similar in both eyes the lenses can be incorporated into them both.

“Sometimes people such as Barbara who have the lenses inserted find that the system works better if they look just ‘off centre’ away from the spot of impaired vision. We use a special computer programme to train these patients to find the best viewing point,” he said.

People seeking more details on IOL-VIP should contact Spire Southampton Hospital on 02380 775544 or email spiresouthamptoninfo@spirehealthcare.com. 

To request an information pack please call 07727 285912 and provide your postal address.