Meet Bill, Age 84
From Leeds, AL
Bill is an 84-year-old retired veteran. He was initially diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) nearly 12 years ago. Since that time, his eyesight had slowly deteriorated and Bill began to find it increasingly difficult to read the eye test chart during vision exams.
His AMD ultimately progressed to the most advance form, also known as End-Stage AMD. He had lost his detailed central vision in both eyes. Although his peripheral vision still remained intact, seeing routine things in his everyday life became a challenge and extremely frustrating. Bill noticed he was literally missing seeing objects straight ahead which prevented him from doing the simplest things he used to take for granted. His vision loss had progressed to a level that made him unable to find his wife in the supermarket. The diminished eyesight also made him prone to falling in unfamiliar outdoor areas.
Bill felt discouraged initially, but made the best of his vision and never gave up hope. "I was always searching or hoping that something would come along that would be more helpful to me, and finally it did," Bill said.
Patient Story Video
Bill noticed a news segment reporting on an FDA trial for people who suffered from End-Stage AMD. This gave him new hope. "I saw ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings where this company had a telescopic lens for macular degeneration. I immediately called my son, and he got me lined up at Emory University and (they) called me for an appointment."
Like other patients in the clinical trial, Bill was able to work with ophthalmologists and optometrists of an eye care team to understand the potential benefits and limitations of the telescope implant used in the CentraSight treatment program. As part of this screening process, an external telescope was used to simulate the potential effect of having the telescope implant in the eye. The doctors used the simulator to determine if Bill's vision could be improved and which of his eye's would be best suited for the telescope implant. In Bill's case, his central vision improved well enough to see better on the eye test chart - to a level both Bill and his doctors thought could enable him to do many things that were important to him.
Bill also used the simulator to check if having improved central vision in one eye would help him in his daily activities, while being able to use the peripheral vision from his other eye for walking and getting around. Bill felt comfortable with this simulation and thought it could help him do many of the hobbies he enjoyed in the yard and garden, and also care for his personal things. After completing the screening process and discussing potential surgical risks with his physicians, Bill decided he wanted to continue forward with the telescope implantation surgery.
A few weeks later, Bill underwent a one-hour outpatient surgical procedure to implant the tiny telescope. During the next few months, with the guidance of the low vision specialists and occupational therapist at Emory, Bill followed a visual training and rehabilitation program to help maximize the benefit of the improved central vision from the telescope implant while maintaining use of his other eye's peripheral vision. Although the treatment doesn't remove the underlying cause of AMD or allow him to see things like he did before, Bill was able to adapt to this new type of vision over time. "They told me your brain works with it, which it does," Bill says. He is now better able to find things in the supermarket and has not fallen since the telescope implantation procedure.
Bill has returned to many of his hobbies and pastimes. "Outside I love to do everything in the world such as planting flowers, weeding, cutting grass, or building something," he said.
He enjoys sharing his handiwork as a gesture of friendship. Bill's wife Betty recounts, "My grandson gave him for Christmas some (cement) molds because he knew he liked to play with things. He had a mold for a turtle and he made turtles for everyone on our street, every friend he had got a turtle. And he is always making something like that just to give someone because he likes them. He likes being neighborly with them and he just has a really good time with the molds." There are ten houses on their street that now have a cement turtle.
Although his vision has not completely returned to the level before his AMD advanced, Bill says he has had an improvement in his quality of life. "I realize this (telescope) lens is not perfect... I don't know how to describe it, but it's just out of this world."
"It's the most wonderful thing that happened to me."
This is the experience of a patient who was part of an FDA clinical trial for the telescope implant. Individual patient results may vary. Normal vision is not fully restored with the telescope implant, but patients can regain central vision and vision-related quality of life by varying levels. Not every patient may benefit from the telescope implant and it may be contraindicated in some individuals. Please consult with your ophthalmologist to understand the risks of the telescope implant used in the CentraSight treatment program to determine whether the treatment may be right for you, or refer to the Patient Information Brochure.
