London: A new quick procedure not widely available on the NHS which treats age related blindness disease is now available at 13 Spire Healthcare hospitals around the UK.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the central part of your vision and occurs mainly in older people. About one in 100 people aged 65-75 and one in eight people aged over 85 suffer from serious AMD that can result in complete loss of central vision.
There are two types of AMD known as the wet kind and the dry kind. Wet AMD is more destructive and is characterised by abnormal blood vessels growing at the back of the eye. These extra blood vessels leak and can cause rapid loss of sight.
Mr Timothy Dabbs, a specialist eye consultant at Spire Leeds Hospital said:
Although Wet AMD progresses rapidly and is destructive it is treatable. We inject a special drug under a local anaesthetic to control the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye.
On average a patient will need six injections, they are quick procedures
and patients can normally go home about an hour later. Although they may
not regain full sight, the treatment will often prevent further damage and in some instances can reverse some of the damage already caused.
Erika Bennett, a patient recently treated at Spire Leeds Hospital, said:
From not being able to read at all I can now read with my reading glasses.
There is a small improvement with every injection and the treatment itself isnt painful.
The staff at the hospital made me feel very comfortable. I had lots of confidence and trust in Mr Dabbs as he made sure he explained every detail of the procedure to me. I would recommend anyone suffering with this condition to try this treatment.
How to tell if you have AMD
If youre concerned that you or someone you know may be suffering from AMD, the best self test is to look directly at a straight line such as a door or window frame and using only one eye at a time to see if there is a noticeable kink in the frame which appears to move with your gaze. Your optician will be able to confirm if there is deterioration in your eyes.
The Hospitals currently offering this treatment include:
Spire Bushey Hospital
Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital
Spire Cardiff Hospital
Spire Edinburgh Hospital
Spire Gatwick Park Hospital
Spire Harpenden Hospital
Spire Leeds Hospital
Spire Leicester Hospital
Spire Manchester Hospital
Spire Norwich Hospital
Spire Southampton Hospital
Spire Sussex Hospital
Spire Wellesley Hospital
About Spire
Spire Healthcare is one of the leading independent hospital providers in the UK, with a 25 year heritage of customer service and clinical excellence. It was formed in 2007 from the sale of BUPA Hospitals to leading private equity company Cinven.
Spire Healthcare has 25 hospitals across the UK, providing services for private and insured patients as well as NHS funded patients under the governments Choose and Book scheme. It also offers cosmetic and weight-loss surgery.
Its hospitals carry out more than 160,000 in-patient and day-case treatments a year and work with over 3,000 consultants. It is proud to be the first independent hospital group to publish clinical outcome data.