Dr. Raymond Stein and his daughter Dr. Rebecca Stein recently presented papers at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2019 Annual Meeting, which was held in San Francisco on October 12-15.
Dr. Raymond Stein’s paper discussed a new corneal laser for macular degeneration (AMD), which was approved by Canada Health last year, and Dr. Rebecca Stein presented on corneal health assessment in corneal cross-linking and adjunct procedures.
The Steins had never spoken at the same event before this conference.
Below, you’ll find an overview of Dr. Raymond Stein’s presentation about corneal laser treatment for AMD.
Corneal Laser Treatment for Macular Degeneration
Bochner Eye Institute, where Dr. Raymond Stein serves as medical director, is the first eye-care office in North America to offer this treatment for AMD.
This innovative technology can be used by patients affected by both wet (neovascular or exudative) and dry (atrophic) AMD. Patients with other macular conditions, such as Stargardt disease, Best disease, and macular holes, can also benefit from this treatment.
Most cases of AMD start as dry and if left untreated may progress to wet. Dry AMD is characterized by small, white or yellow deposits forming on the retina under the macula. These deposits, which are called drusen, cause the macula to slowly deteriorate, resulting in blurred or decreased central vision.
Wet AMD is more severe and occurs when abnormal blood vessels begin to grow toward the macula. These blood vessels can break and leak blood or fluid, causing the macula to rise and separate from its base, resulting in a faster, more acute reduction of central vision.
The causes of wet and dry AMD are not known, and currently, there is no cure. But corneal laser treatment can restore three or more lines of vision to people who have AMD, enabling them to resume activities that were previously challenging or impossible.
During the treatment, changes are made to the cornea causing light to redirect to the back of the eye outside of the blind spot. Corneal laser treatment does not cause double vision or tunnel vision the way other AMD treatments do.
The procedure is easy to undergo and patients shouldn’t experience any pain or need time to recover. Most people report high levels of satisfaction with their results.
Contact Us
To learn more about Dr. Raymond Stein and corneal laser treatment for AMD, please contact the team at Bochner Eye Institute to schedule a consultation.
Dr. Stein is a cornea, refractive, and cataract surgery specialist. He is also the associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Toronto and Vision Sciences and chief of ophthalmology at the Scarborough Hospital.