Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

• Is a laser treatment that causes selective destruction of the affected areas without the damage to healthy retinal tissue.
• This laser therapy is used on “wet” macular degeneration. It is medically referred to as choroidal neovasculisation (CNV) (NICE guidelines)
• Treatment can only begin after a thorough diagnosis from our retinal specialist and after a fluorescein angiogram.
• A drug called Veteporfin is injected into a vein in the back of your hand.
• A non thermal laser is then used
• The treatment works by destroying the abnormal blood vessels that grow behind the retina at the back of your eye
• The aim of the treatment is to reduce the potential loss of central vision caused by wet macular degeneration

 

For More Information On PDT:

• Royal National Institute for the Blind
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists
• National Institute for Clinical Excellence