Open AccessThe implantable miniature telescope
Author(s) -
Phillip Williams,
Steven Chan-Fai Wong
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
uwomj/medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2560-8274
pISSN - 0042-0336
DOI - 10.5206/uwomj.v84i2.4299
Subject(s) - medicine , macular degeneration , blindness , food and drug administration , visual acuity , quality of life (healthcare) , ophthalmology , stage (stratigraphy) , optometry , surgery , medical emergency , paleontology , nursing , biology
Bilateral, end-stage, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a devastating condition of the eye. As the leading cause of blindness worldwide in the elderly, it leads to poor quality of life. While antivascular endothelium growth factor agents are used as front-line treatment for wet AMD, no current treatment exists for bilateral, end-stage AMD in Canada. The implantable miniature telescope (IMT), approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, is a treatment option available for those over the age of 65 in the United States with stable severe to profound vision impairment (best-corrected visual acuity 20/160 to 20/800) caused by bilateral central scotomas associated with bilateral, end-stage AMD. Combining the fields of engineering and ophthalmology, intraocular implantation of the IMT provides improvements in patients’ functional vision and quality of life. As a relatively new treatment targeting the elderly, there are strict inclusion criteria as well as risks associated with the procedure. However, research and continuing development in this field is ongoing to minimize these risks.