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Saving Sight Without Surgery: Macular Holes
– Reported, March 08, 2013
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — They happen when fibers in the eye pull away and tear the retina. Macular holes can threaten vision and force people to go under the knife to save their sight. While surgery used to be their only option, something new is giving patients a first of its kind alternative.
While cruising the Caribbean, Catherine Brown realized what she thought had been a problem with her TV, was actually a problem with her eyes.
It just wasnt going away and I couldnt blame the television anymore. It was me. It was clearly me, Catherine Brown, who had macular holes, told Ivanhoe.
She had macular holes, small breaks in the center of the retina that cause blind spots and visual distortions.
They notice that its almost like a fun house mirror effect sometimes when they look at people, Julia A. Haller, MD, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at the Wills Eye Institute, told Ivanhoe.
It was unbelievable, Brown said.
In the past the only option for patients was surgery, but Dr. Julia Haller says a drug recently approved by the FDA could help them avoid it.
Its really, its miraculous, Dr. Haller said.
Jetrea is injected directly into the eye. It basically breaks down proteins that cause the condition. Two clinical studies showed the drug closed macular holes in 26-percent of participants. Thats one in four patients who didnt need surgery.
Its like night and day. Within a few days your symptoms are gone. Youve got recovery of vision, Dr. Haller explained.
It was phenomenal that, um, I released as quickly as I did, Brown said.
Catherines macular holes are healed. Now this church pianist doesnt have to pray for a miracle.
The most common side effects of Jetrea are blurry vision and eye floaters. Researchers hope the drug could one day be used to treat other common eye conditions, like macular degeneration and diabetes-related eye issues. Clinical trials to test the drug on those conditions are in the works.
