Tiny telescope implant helps restore age-related vision loss

I reported this a few months ago, but am repeating it for those who might have missed it, because it such a great thing.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/tiny-telescope-implant-helps-restore-age-related-vision-loss-6C10474402

Jane Derenowski, Producer NBC News
June 27, 2013

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Age-related macular degeneration, a slowly developing condition that can make it difficult to recognize faces, drive a car or read, typically affects people in their 50s and older. As baby boomers age – and as lifespans continue to increase -- the numbers of people are expected to surge.

The worst part for Hindman was learning there was no way to stop the deterioration. While there are some therapies for the wet form of macular degeneration – a more advanced, severe condition -- treatments for the dry form, which afflicts Hindman and millions of other Americans, have been mostly limited to magnifying glasses.

That wasn’t enough for Hindman, a college coach, and a racehorse owner. He found doctors at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital who have been helping patients see better with a tiny device that can be surgically implanted in the eye.

The device was given Food and Drug Administration approval and is now covered by Medicare. For those paying out of pocket, the cost of the device is $15,000, not including surgery or rehabilitation.

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Still, the device is not a panacea. “It’s important that patients know that this device is not going to allow them to drive,” says Dr. Oliver D. Schein, a professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. “It’s not going to let them read small print. But it may take someone who has had to give up reading entirely and get them to the point where they can read large print.”

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