Age related macular degeneration: Macular relocation surgery was not  taken into account

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7404.1459

BMJ 2003;326:1459 (28 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7404.1459

Letter

Age related macular degeneration

Macular relocation surgery was not taken into account

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Chopdar et al searched Medline for literature but seem to have neglected over 75 publications on macular relocationsurgery for age related and myopic macular degeneration.¹They concluded that no current treatment will restore visionthat has already been lost.

The excitement over macular relocation is precisely becauseit is capable of improving vision in some patients despitemoderate and severe visual loss.² Lai et al reported thatat six months, the reading vision was significantly improved, from 0.54 to 0.40 LogMAR units in a consecutive series of 15patients (P=0.02).³ Pertile and Claes recently reported thatin a consecutive series of 50 cases with a median follow upof 21 months 66% improved (2 or more lines), 28% remained stable(±1 line) and only 6% deteriorated (2 or more lines).⁴

Macular relocation surgery is complex and prone to complicationsincluding proliferative vitreoretinopathy. As experience ofthis surgery . . . [Full text of this article]

David Wong, consultant ophthalmic surgeon

St Paul's Eye Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool L7 8XP

David G Charteris, consultant ophthalmic surgeon

Vitreoretinal Surgical Unit david.charteris@moorfields.nhs.uk

Lyndon da Cruz, consultant ophthalmic surgeon

Medical and Surgical Retinal Units, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London EC1V 2PD