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Macular degeneration is a condition affecting your central vision and may give rise to symptoms including blurred and wavy vision. Colour vision may also be impaired. There are two forms of macular degeneration; dry and wet.

The dry form is most common, comprising around 90% of diagnosed cases. A percentage of patients progress, developing the advanced stage of dry macular degeneration otherwise known as geographic atrophy. These patients may have significantly reduced central vision, loss of the ability to read and drive. At present, there is no treatment for this form. There is however some evidence supporting certain supplements (e.g. MacuVision and MDEyes); these are thought to delay disease progression by twenty-five percent in select patients.

Wet macular degeneration, on the other hand, is treatable if detected early on and treatment is initiated promptly. In the wet form, there is the formation of abnormal, leaky vessels about the macular (central seeing area). This may result in local swelling and the accumulation fluid; both of which have the potential to permanently damage your vision. The most common and successful available treatment is intravitreal injections. The medicine used both reduces swelling and leakage. This treatment is effective in the overwhelming majority of patients.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye problem caused by longstanding and/or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. This condition is specific to the back of the eye where the retina is situated. The ‘seeing cells’ are located within this component of the eye; therefore, diabetic eye disease can cause vision loss, even blindness.

High blood sugar level weaken the walls of the blood vessels within the eye as well as elsewhere in the body. The blood vessel may become leaky with time and bleed into the retina. In advanced cases, new blood vessels may form at the back of the eye. These unfortunately are particularly susceptible to bleeding and can be highly destructive. Treatments for diabetic changes include laser and intravitreal injections. You may however be able to prevent such problems with tight control of blood glucose and blood pressure as well as through the discontinuation of smoking. 

Modern surgery allows us to very successfully  correct vitreomacular traction. This is performed using very fine microsurgical “keyhole” instruments to gently peel the vitreous from the retina. These tiny instruments are smaller than a blood test needle and usually no sutures are required. The surgery takes less than one hour, and is usually performed using local anesthetic with “twilight” sedation. An anaesthetist will provide relaxant medication and the eye is completely numb with anaesthetic so there is no pain. It is day surgery and you do not need to stay in hospital over night.

Occasionally we will need to use a gas or air bubble to help repair your eye. As long as you do not have a retinal detachment you will NOT need to position face down after surgery.