Over 200,000 cases of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, are diagnosed in the United States each year. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. The loss of vision is very scary and extremely overwhelming for many patients. Dr. Johnson offers patients with age-related macular degeneration and other eye conditions hope and relief through stem cell therapy.
What is Macular Degeneration?
Age-related macular degeneration occurs when the macula of the retina in your eye becomes thin and worn. The macula is responsible for the sharpest vision in your eye and is what allows you to see fine details. When it becomes worn out, the central part of your vision becomes blocked. The loss of vision is especially unsettling for some patients because they retain their peripheral vision while losing sight in the middle of their eye- seeing a black dot in the middle and light around it.
There are two types of macular degeneration: wet and dry. When patients experience wet AMD, blood vessels form in the macula and begin to leak blood onto the retina, blurring and blocking vision. During dry AMD, deposits form on the macula and eventually block the patient from seeing.
Macular Degeneration Management
Macular degeneration cannot be cured, and traditional treatments for the conditioned may help but are not guaranteed to work. Current treatments for the condition include anti-angiogenic drugs injecting into the eye to stop the generation of new blood cells and blood leaking into the eye in cases of wet macular degeneration. Other treatments for wet AMD include laser therapy and surgery to target blood vessels remove or destroy or remove abnormal blood vessels. However, these blood vessels frequently grow back.
Dry AMD treatments include vitamins and supplements of vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene. These supplements may improve the vision in some patients.
The treatments for wet and dry AMD are not guaranteed to work for every patient, and may not bring any improvement in their vision. Many patients suffering from macular degeneration are finally forced to wear special glasses and use other visual aids to be able to see.
Stem Cell Therapy Gives Hope to Patients with Macular Degeneration
While traditional treatments often fail to help, stem cell therapy is changing outcomes for patients with macular degeneration and other eye conditions like glaucoma, optic nerve damage, optic atrophy, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and many other eye diseases and injuries. Dr. Johnson uses adipose fat stem cells taken from the patient and deploys them into the body through an IV. The stem cells repair damaged eye tissues just like they do in other areas of the body damaged by disease or injury- by regenerating cells to heal tissue and through the use of growth factors that promote healing.
Patients that have been treated with stem cell therapy for macular degeneration and other eye conditions at Innovations Stem Cell Center have seen some positive results of their treatment.
If you have questions if stem cell therapy is right for your eye condition, call Innovations Stem Cell Center today at (214) 643-8665.