Macular degeneration specialist in New York

Many people with macular degeneration experience minimal vision loss during the early stages of the disease. For most people, macular degeneration does not become vision impairing. During this stage, the transport of wastes and nutrients by the RPE has slowed down. As a result, waste builds up under the retina and forms yellowish deposits known as drusen.

An ophthalmologist examining a patient at this stage may see drusen, although no symptoms may be present or develop later. If the doctor sees drusen, the patient will be monitored. In most cases, the disease will not progress to vision loss, although some patients do experience vision loss with drusen. Many patients over 60 have some drusen.

Macugen

Macugen was the first drug approved to treat wet AMD. Macugen appears to be much less effective than the other anti-VEGF medications and is therefore only rarely used nowadays.

Lucentis

Lucentis was the second drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of wet AMD. Its effect is more powerful than Macugen’s. On average, 21 letters on a specialized reading chart (ETDRS chart) were gained, and about 40 percent of patients regained the ability to read newspaper print (20/40). Not all patients did improve their vision, but 90 percent resulted better or stable vision.

These results of the wet macular degeneration treatment using Lucentis represented a breakthrough compared to the natural history of the disease, which essentially leads to legal blindness in the vast majority of patients.

When Should You See a Doctor?
Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor if you have areas of reduced or distorted vision, can’t see clearly at a distance, have problems transitioning from dark to bright light, or need ever brighter light to read by.

Wet AMD damages the macula much more quickly, but with regular Amsler Grid testing, we can detect problems early so new blood vessels can be treated before they cause too much damage. Consult an eye doctor as soon as possible if you experience noticeable differences in your sight, such as blurry or distorted vision, as it could be a sign of macular degeneration scarring, which in most cases leads to vision loss.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration is worrisome for older people, but with proper diagnosis, the best eye doctors for macular degeneration at Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York, will help you manage your condition and protect your vision.

Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York

950 3rd Ave 3rd floor,

New York, NY 10022

Office tel: 212-861-9797

Fax: 212-628-0698

EN URL: https://www.vrmny.com/conditions/age-related-macular-degeneration/

ES URL: https://www.vrmny.com/es/

Office location: https://www.vrmny.com/locations/manhattan/

Our location on map: 

https://goo.gl/maps/v9rE1BWBd6tsFgPaA

https://plus.codes/87G8Q26J+3R New York

Nearby Locations:

Manhattan, NY

Lenox Hill | Upper East Side | Midtown East | Upper West Side

10021 | 10022 | 10023

Working hours: 

Monday-Friday: 8am - 5pm

Payment: cash, check, credit cards.