Dry AMD cannot be treated directly, but medications and other therapies can slow vision loss. At UF Health Ophthalmologists utilize fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography imaging technologies to detect early signs of disease.

Early signs of wet AMD include straight lines appearing crooked as fluid from leaking blood vessels collects under the retina and causes loss of central vision. Wet AMD can be treated using anti-angiogenic drugs injections, photodynamic therapy and/or laser surgery.

Anti-angiogenic drugs

Angiogenesis, or blood vessel growth, is essential to organ development and wound healing; however, when our bodies become compromised it must stop this influx of new blood vessels that would fuel cancer growth or other pathologies. Therefore, anti-angiogenesis drugs are frequently employed in cancer therapy to curb this process; such drugs target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), to inhibit angiogenesis and limit tumor progression.

Anti-angiogenic drugs may be administered either intravenously or orally and do not typically produce the same side effects as chemotherapy and radiation treatments, making them often less costly options. Furthermore, these therapies can often be combined with photodynamic therapy and laser surgery procedures in order to maximize effectiveness.

UF Health specialists have several treatments that can slow the progression of AMD and restore some lost vision. At its most serious form, wet macular degeneration, blood vessels under the retina start leaking fluid which creates scar tissue which eventually results in central vision loss and straight lines appearing bent with blind spots appearing centrally within your field of vision. If these symptoms arise it’s essential that they visit their physician immediately; wet macular degeneration requires more urgent treatment in order to avoid permanent vision loss.

Most people with AMD experience its dry form, where portions of the macula thin out and protein clumps called drusen develop underneath the retina. This form does not result in significant vision loss and can be treated through vitamin supplements and regular eye exams; however, your risk increases if more drusen form or there is family history of AMD.

If you suffer from wet AMD, your doctor may administer medication to reduce new blood vessel growth and slow leaking from existing ones. This technique known as photodynamic therapy uses non-toxic photosensitizers activated by light to damage and destroy abnormal blood vessels that contribute to wet AMD and slow its progress while simultaneously improving patients’ vision. It can help slow its progression while improving sight.

Laser surgery

Laser surgery for wet AMD involves your eye care professional shining a laser light beam at new blood vessels to destroy them, helping reduce their growth and any leakage from them. It is an outpatient procedure performed at an eye doctor’s office and only takes minutes. Although laser surgery will not stop vision loss or restore original vision, it may help delay advanced AMD from worsening over time.

Wet ARMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels form under the retina, a thin layer of tissue lining the back of your eye that converts light into electrical impulses that send visual signals directly to the brain. When AMD damages this vital area of retina, its macula, which provides your most detailed central vision can become impaired; straight lines may appear crooked due to fluid from leaking blood vessels gathering underneath and lifting up the macula, distorting your central vision; you may also experience blind spots in your field of vision as early symptoms of damage arising.

Laser photocoagulation is the standard treatment for wet ARMD. Your eye care provider uses this procedure to seal off leaky blood vessels underneath the retina with laser beams, helping prevent vision loss as a result. Earlier treatment of abnormal vessels is important; otherwise they could become more serious over time and lead to significant vision impairment.

Prior to surgery, an eye care provider will administer eye drops to dilate (enlarge) your pupils before using a tool known as a slit lamp to focus a laser beam onto your retina.

Foveal Study and the Stratified Treatment for Intermediate Macular Degeneration Study both examined laser photocoagulation as an alternative to observation. Both found that treating lesions near the FAZ with laser photocoagulation reduced risk of severe vision loss; however, neither study could conclusively demonstrate whether treatment helped stop or postpone further vision loss; although their decreased rates of vision loss in wet AMD patients suggests the possibility that laser photocoagulation treatment might work effectively, further research must be completed on this particular approach to AMD treatment before any definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding its efficacy or effectiveness;

Fluorescein angiography

AMD occurs when light-sensitive tissues at the back of the eye known as retina begin to degenerate, leading to scars and fluid leakage which lead to vision loss. Treatment options available to prevent and slow further progression include vitamins, anti-angiogenic drugs and laser surgery.

Dry macular degeneration often manifests itself with the development of small deposits known as drusen beneath the retina, often increasing in number and size over time. While not symptomatic themselves, they may indicate an increased risk for advanced AMD.

Doctors can identify the risk of advanced AMD by looking at someone’s fundus (the back of their eye). Examining blood vessels in both retina and choroid, color and shape. A special camera will then take flash photographs that allow doctors to see how dye is traveling through those vessels over time.

Fluorescein angiography involves injecting yellow dye into veins in either arm or hand and watching its journey towards the eyes via circulation. A camera then takes many rapid sequence photos of the eye showing how this dye travels through blood vessels in retina, providing insight into whether abnormal new vessels may be growing beneath retinal layers – an effective test to diagnose wet AMD.

Patients suffering from wet AMD have fragile, abnormal blood vessels that leak blood and fluid onto the retina, raising macula levels quickly as central vision is lost rapidly. Treatment options for wet AMD include anti-VEGF drugs to inhibit new abnormal blood vessel growth and slow their leaking; alternatively a laser procedure can be performed that utilizes laser light beams on retina to destroy abnormal vessels that leak, thus preventing further vision loss.

Optical coherence tomography

Optometric Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive technique that produces high-resolution cross-sectional images of tissue structures on a micron scale. Similar to ultrasound imaging but using light instead of sound waves, OCT allows your doctor to observe all layers of retina and blood vessels that support them, providing him or her with more informed decisions when selecting treatment options for you.

Studies have demonstrated the accuracy of OCT as an assessment method. Unfortunately, however, it does not offer an all-encompassing view of your eye due to media opacities like vitreous hemorrhage or dense cataract affecting its performance. Newer machines exist that can overcome such limitations and give more in-depth data regarding your retina’s structure.

Researchers used spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to measure the thickness of an inner retinal layer known as the Ganglion Cell Complex, using SD-OCT as the measurement method. Their results revealed a strong correlation between its thickness and exudative AMD severity – meaning any decrease can signal treatment needs.

An additional way of assessing whether treatment is necessary for AMD is using Ocular Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA), which utilizes similar technology but without dye. Your ophthalmologist can use OCTA to examine blood vessels within your macula to ascertain if you require treatment for AMD.

Anti-VEGF therapy has shown promise in improving visual outcomes for those living with neovascular AMD; however, it has not been shown to slow or stop its progression in non-neovascular cases. Therefore, it is crucial that your physician knows whether you have neovascular or non-neovascular AMD so they can recommend appropriate treatments.

Your doctor may also suggest vitamins and minerals for you. While these supplements can slow the progression of dry AMD, they won’t prevent it entirely. If you have extensive drusen deposits on the eyeballs, an ophthalmologist can suggest certain nutritional supplements which could reduce risk of vision loss.