Sarasota neuro-opthalmologist Marc H. Levy has surgically implanted a telescope prosthesis designed for people with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that can lead to vision loss and even blindness, reported the Tampa Bay Business Journal recently.
According to the article, Levy’s surgical procedure involving the telescope prosthesis, the first of its kind okayed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for people with wet AMD, represented the first time that such a development has occurred in Florida.
According to the article, the surgery took 60 minutes and was conducted at the outpatient Cape Surgery Center at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Over the course of the procedure, Levy surgically inserted a small — think pea-sized — telescope prosthesis into one of the eyes of a woman who had lost much of her vision on account of late-stage macular degeneration.
The telescope prosthesis, which is designed to make objects appear bigger and to enhance straight-ahead vision, comes from the CentraSight treatment program from VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies. While the U.S. Food & Drug Administration okayed the telescope prosthesis back in 2010, the device was not ready for commercial rollout in Florida until the fall of 2012 when it was granted Medicare coverage.
There is still much that researchers do not understand about AMD, but it is generally understood that the eye ailment adversely impacts the elderly population. This does not, however, mean that AMD is an unavoidable part of the aging process. It has been proven that people who take care of their eye health can continue to benefit from good vision.
Eating food with omega-3 fatty acids, consuming liberal amounts of leafy green vegetables, going in for annual eye exams, staying away from smoking, avoiding high blood pressure, keeping cholesterol in check, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight are key things people should remember to keep their eyes functioning properly.
While doing the aforementioned won’t necessarily prevent the onset of AMD, taking preventative measures can dramatically reduce the likelihood of getting the condition or slow down the progression of the condition if there is a positive diagnosis down the road. There is no cure for AMD, but there are treatments that can help.