Vision
3. ‘Wet’ AMD
'Wet' macular degeneration often develops quickly and causes severe damage to the eyes' central vision. Fluid and scar tissue from an abnormal growth of blood vessels under the retina build up and this prevents the rods and cones in the macula from working properly.
The disease can affect both eyes - not necessarily at the same time. Once a person has developed 'wet' macular degeneration in one eye, their chances of developing it in the other eye increases year on year. The likelihood of this happening varies, depending on the specific kind of damage that is developing in the affected eye.
There are two treatments that may help delay the decline in central vision. Both involve lasers:
- laser photocoagulation seals the leaky blood vessels with a hot laser; and
- photodynamic therapy destroys the abnormal blood vessels using a cold laser to activate a drug that is injected half an hour before treatment.
There are several other approaches still at the experimental stage, including the use of surgery to relocate the macula on to a healthy part of the retina.
