The Retina Centers of Washington


  Contact : (301) 279-9123 , Fax: (301) 279-6828

Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition affecting many people as they older. By the age of 75, about one quarter of people may be affected by AMD to some degree. Although most people with AMD do not develop severe vision loss in their lifetime, due to the large number of people with this disease it is the most common cause of blindness in the population over age 65.

Dry AMD. Everyone with macular degeneration starts with the dry form. Overall, 90% of people with AMD only have the dry variant over their lifetime. Dry AMD is evidenced by the presence of drusen, deposits of what is essentially metabolic waste product of the macula. Thinning of the macula due to loss of tissue may also occur. Slowly over time, central vision may be increasingly affected although in most cases not severely. In severe circumstances larger areas of thinning, described as geographic atrophy, can affect more profound central vision loss. However, of all people that lose severe vision from AMD, only 10% do so from dry AMD. Currently, there is no effective treatment against dry AMD aside from antioxidant vitamin supplementation, a healthy diet, and not being a cigarette smoker. According to the NIH sponsored Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), supplementation with antioxidant vitamins reduces risk of developing severe macular degeneration or severe vision loss from macular degeneration by 25%. Additionally, foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthine (dark, green leafy vegetables) and perhaps omega-3 fatty acids (fish) may reduce risk of developing severe macular degeneration.

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Photo and OCT

Wet AMD. This is a less common form of AMD, but it accounts for 90% of people who lose severe vision from AMD. Wet AMD occurs when there is growth of abnormal blood vessels underneath and within the macula (neovascularization). These vessels may leak fluid and blood, which could lead to scarring. The rate and extent of worsening of wet AMD is typically much faster than it is with dry AMD. Fortunately, there are effective treatments nowadays which prevent severe vision loss in a high majority of people affected by wet AMD. Since the advent of intravitreal injections for wet AMD in 2005, the incidence of blindness from wet AMD has decreased by 50%.

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Photo and OCT

 

At the Retina Centers of Washington, we offer effective treatments such as Avastin and Eylea for the treatment of wet AMD. We also use the latest in diagnostic equipment to aid in the diagnosis and management of this condition.

 

Retina Centers of Washington COVID-19 Safety Protocol

Dear Valued Patients and Friends,

We are truly grateful for the love and support you’ve provided us over the past few months as we navigated through the pandemic. With your continued support, we have been able to stay open, through this entire pandemic, to treat our patients' essential eye care needs. 

The safety of our patients, and our staff members, is our top priority; therefore, we have implemented safety protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Here are some of our new safety procedures that are currently in place for when you visit our office(s).

Prior to Your Appointment:

·  You will be pre-screened over the phone when scheduling your appointment.

·  If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment.

·  If you have been exposed to anyone with the virus, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment. 

·  We will minimize the number of people in the practice (please come alone unless there is a true need for someone to accompany you).

·  We request that anyone accompanying you to wait safely in their car, unless it is truly necessary for them to come into your appointment with you. We truly appreciate your cooperation on this.

Once You arrive:

·  We are requiring all patients to arrive wearing a mask (we will provide one if needed), and that it is properly worn through the entire visit. 

·  We will check your temperature upon your arrival.

·  We request that patients use hand sanitizer upon arrival and departure of our office.

·  We have reduced the number of chairs in the waiting area to respect physical distance protocol.

·  All magazines and brochures have been removed.

Staff and Strict Cleaning Protocols:

·  We complete daily prescreening for COVID symptoms for Staff, and Doctors. 

·  All Staff members will be using PPE and wearing masks at all times, including our providers. A face shield and gloves will be worn as needed.

·  Our staff regularly performs surface cleaning of frequently touched areas throughout the day.

·  Our waiting room, exam rooms, testing equipment, and other common areas are cleaned and sterilized after every patient appointment.

We thank you for your patience with all these changes, and for your cooperation as we continue to safely navigate through the pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 301-279-9124 and we will be glad to help you!