Lasers Could Prevent Age-Related Blindness

A revolutionary laser treatment could save the sight of millions, British experts claim. The process is said to stop the onset of age-related macular degeneration, one of the commonest forms of blindness, which leaves victims unable to read, drive or live independently.
While it does not cure sight loss, its creators say it could prevent a generation from having to put up with declining vision in old age. People with a family history of the disease could have pre-emptive treatment in their thirties.
The technique is said to be safe and painless and could save the National Health Service (NHS) millions of pounds in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It could even stop the disease getting worse in existing patients. Medical charities welcomed the breakthrough but warned that it might not be available to the public for several years.
AMD is caused by damage to an area about five millimetres across at the centre of the retina called the macular, which is responsible for our central vision.
The disease is the leading cause of blindness in the over-sixties, and around 200,000 Britons are registered as blind or partially sighted because of it.
The technique is the brainchild of Professor John Marshall, an ophthalmologist at King’s College London who pioneered laser surgery to correct short-sightedness. Professor Marshall, who hopes the treatment could be available in a couple of years, said: “It is really exciting. It won’t bring back damaged eyesight but it may prevent AMD.”