In wet Age Related Macular Degeneration [ARMD], since there are leakages which have to be sealed, it needs to be treated. Earlier the recommendation was ARGON laser treatment or PDT (Photodynamic therapy) which did not give desired results. Now the recent treatment is with anti-VEGF factors like Injection Avastin / Lucentis. Anti-VEGF drugs block the trouble-causing VEGF, reducing the growth of abnormal blood vessels and slowing their leakage.

The recent development of anti-VEGF medications have become a path breaking advance in the treatment of wet AMD.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) are two very useful drugs. Most patients will retain the vision they have and some will regain some of the lost vision after these treatments.

Injection Lucentis (approved by US FDA) is injected as one injection every month for three months is the total dose. Then re evaluated after 3 months.

Injection Avastin is injected as one injection and evaluated after 3 months for any necessary repetition. Not approved by US FDA but is the same drug as Lucentis.

The above doses generally take care of the acute need of treatment and no further injections are required, unless the condition changes over time.

The follow ups are simple and can be done by a local eye surgeon if not residing in our city.

These procedures may preserve more sight overall, though they are not cures that restore vision to normal. Despite advanced medical treatment, most people with macular degeneration still experience some vision loss.

Many older people develop macular degeneration as part of the body’s natural aging process. Exactly why it develops is not known, and no treatment has been uniformly effective.