Is my grand-father’s retinal damage treatable?

Q: My 76 years old grandfather is suffering from age related macular degeneration (AMD) problem in his eyes. The doctor has diagnosed AMD (dry) with nuclear sclerosis in both eyes, with PSC RE. B/E senile CR degen multiple dugens in macula. We consulted another doctor, who advised Phaco + PCZOL with very guarded visual prognosis due to AMD. He also got cataract surgery done in the right eye. The eye surgeon prescribed a Vitamin. The other has prescribed Gloeye (Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract and Bilbery Extract Tablets) for the prevention of further degeneration of the retina in both the eyes. How can my grandfather’s damaged retina be treated? He is also depressed about becoming totally blind.

A:This gentleman appears to be suffering from changes of Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which is considered to be an oxidative damaged to retinal cells and typically affects the central retina.

There is no “Cure” for the condition. However, recent studies suggest that taking antioxidants (such as Glo eye) do slow down the process of degeneration.

The peripheral retina continue to function well and as such he will not go “blind”. He may develop eccentric viewing skills if he has advanced disease, wherein the object to be looked at is not viewed ‘head on’ but slightly eccentrically so that its image is formed on the healthy retina. Hand held magnifires and other low vision devices are available that can help him read etc.