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A pea-sized implantable telescope is helping some people with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to read, watch television, and recognize faces. The innovative device works by magnifying images so they extend onto healthy, outer regions of the retina — beyond the central retina, the macula, which is damaged in advanced forms of AMD. Developed by VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, the telescope is expected to receive approval from the FDA later this year. The device is implanted into one eye, replacing the recipient’s lens. Implantation is performed during a brief, outpatient procedure. Doctors funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness note that careful assessment must be performed to determine the best form of visual rehabilitation and accommodation for people with advanced AMD who are candidates for this device. They add that even with the device, people will still have significantly limited vision. |
