Ninewells Leads on Blindness Teatment
The Ophthalmology Department at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, is at the forefront of the fight to treat the UK’s leading cause of blindness.
A specialist laser treatment for the blinding eye disease, wet-Age-related Macular Degeneration (wet-AMD), is now available at Ninewells and it can halt sight loss in many patients.
An estimated half a million people in the UK have AMD and this laser treatment introduced at Ninewells is available for some patients with ‘wet’ AMD – the more aggressive form of the disease. Wet AMD is a very acute condition and can cause serious sight loss in just a few months. It is caused by leaking blood vessels at the back of the eye which if untreated will destroy central vision.
The condition is increasingly common in people over 55 and early symptoms include blurring of images and the appearance of wavy lines which can cause difficulty with everyday activities such as reading, watching TV or doing household chores. Patients with advanced wet AMD often have little or no central vision and cannot even recognise faces.. |
|
|
The treatment now offered at Ninewells is called Visudyne Photodynamic Therapy (Visudyne PDT) and it involves injecting a light sensitive drug into the bloodstream which travels to the retina at the back of the eye and attaches itself to the leaky vessels. A laser beam is then shone on to the back of the eye and the drug reacts, sealing the leaky vessels without affecting the surrounding healthy eye tissue.
Dr Stuart Roxburgh, leading eye specialist responsible for running the PDT clinic in Dundee, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this effective treatment which can stabilise the vision of some people with the classic type of wet AMD and prevent them from becoming registered as blind if treated early enough.” But he added, “It is vital that we see patients with suspected wet AMD as quickly as possible.”
Kate Maclean MSP said: “We are lucky to have this first-class facility at Ninewells Hospital, which means patients from Tayside no longer need to make long journeys to receive treatment.”
The Chief Executive of NHS Tayside Acute Services Division, Mr Gerry Marr added, “Effective collaboration across NHS departments to share expertise and improve services has been instrumental in the decision to make Ninewells Hospital a centre for this ground-breaking treatment and this is a tribute to all of the staff involved.”
Billy Watson, Director of RNIB Scotland said: “This new clinic will save people’s sight. RNIB Scotland warmly welcomes its establishment. Unfortunately appropriate treatment for those with wet-AMD is not yet readily available across the whole of the country.
“RNIB Scotland has been campaigning hard in the Scottish Parliament, alongside Kate Maclean MSP and others, to ensure that people with this eye disease receive ready access to prompt treatment on the NHS. Otherwise they will lose their sight unnecessarily.
“Wet AMD can develop very quickly and anyone who notices a change in their vision should make a prompt appointment for an eye examination with an optometrist at their local opticians. If necessary, they will then be referred to a clinic like the new one in Ninewells Hospital where they should now receive the best available care”.
|
