IOL AMD Patient's Comments

Pauline Wood – Doddinghurst - Essex

After a lifetime of wearing glasses for poor eye sight, Pauline was diagnosed with dry macular degeneration 16 years ago. Up until then moderately high prescription, glasses had meant that she could drive and live a normal life; this news was however, the beginning of what would be a slow decline in her vision.

Pauline was told there was no cure but not being one to give up easily, she researched the problem and kept abreast of any breakthrough in it’s treatment. Pauline took supplements which helped, but eventually had to give up driving and up until 3 months ago, had to rely on her husband to ‘ be her eyes’ as her vision was so bad that she could only read literature designed for people with low vision.

Friends told her about a new procedure that they had heard about, which had received some publicity in the North of England. Pauline rang the macular degeneration society and spoke to her optician, from Templeman’s in Brentwood, who recommended she see Mr Aggarwal, a local ophthalmologist who had received special training enabling him to undertake the new procedure called IOL Vip.

Pauline said that initially a simulator was placed over her eyes to divert images to healthier parts of the retina to see whether the improvement was sufficient to undertake the operation. The improvement in her left eye was unfortunately insufficient, but the improvement in the right eye meant that, during the tests, her husbands face became much clearer and she knew at once that the procedure had to be worth trying.

Pauline had the operation 13 weeks ago and is absolutely over the moon with the results. She said that whilst she understands that it is not a miracle cure, as the macular is not actually treated, but essentially bypassed, it has resulted in her regaining her independence, as she can now travel into town and go shopping without her husband, as she can safely catch the bus and see prices when shopping.

The procedure is similar to a cataract procedure, in that the natural lens within the eye is removed and replaced with two lenses, which essentially magnify images and divert them away from the diseased macular to a healthy part of the retina.

Pauline said ‘ I have been so very lucky, I thought that there wasn’t very much I could do apart from take supplements and now I want everyone to know that there is hope’

Pauline’s sight is still improving, as she is doing regular exercises as part of the post-op regime to awaken and improve the signals to the part of the retina that is now responsible for her newly regained sight.

Pauline is happy to discuss her experience and can be contacted via the macular degeneration society on 01264 350 551.

Mr Aggarwal performed the procedure at The Phoenix Hospital in Southend. It is not currently available on the NHS