Implant of `Mini telescope' May Improve Vision

A tiny telescope implanted in the eye during cataract surgery could significantly improve the vision of those suffering from age-related macular degeneration. AMD is a degenerative retinal disease and leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50.

Baylor College of Medicine is one of three sites in the United States participating in a clinical trial to test an implantable miniaturized telescope in patients with central vision impairment due to AMD.

"Using a telescope to help patients with AMD is not new, but prior to this clinical trial, the telescope had to be worn as an external spectacle lens. Unfortunately, a spectacle frame with a telescope can be quite heavy and difficult to use," said Dr. Bowes Hamill, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Baylor and one of the study's chief investigators.

"The advantages of the implant are that the telescope is always with you and, if necessary, additional magnification can be achieved with the spectacles," he said.

At the time of surgery, the IMT is implanted in only one eye to provide central vision. The other eye controls peripheral vision. The procedure lasts between 30 and 45 minutes under local anesthesia and is performed on an outpatient basis.

To be eligible for the study, candidates must have stable AMD, be 60 years of age or older with vision no better than 20/80 and no worse than 20/400 in either eye, and have no other major eye disease except for cataracts.

Dr. Hamill said the IMT, if successful, could be a breakthrough for patients with AMD.

"This isn't going to provide 20/20 vision, but it could allow the visually handicapped AMD patient to function better, whether it's eating, watching television, reading or recognizing people's faces," Dr. Hamill said.

For more information about this study, call (713) 798-3044.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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