Robotic Procedure Helps Treat Macular Degeneration [Video]

Key Takeaways

Robot-directed radiation therapy can improve treatment of age-related macular degenerationPeople who received radiation needed a quarter fewer injections in their eyeThe procedure saves money and reduces patient hassle

THURSDAY, June 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Robot-guided radiation therapy can improve treatment for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among American seniors, a new study shows.

Precisely targeted radiation treatment reduced by a quarter the number of routine injections needed to treat wet-type age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most advanced and serious form of the disorder, researchers reported June 11 in The Lancet journal.

“With this purpose-built robotic system, we can be incredibly precise, using overlapping beams of radiation to treat a very small lesion in the back of the eye,” said lead researcher Timothy Jackson, a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at King’s College Hospital in London.

Wet AMD occurs when new, abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. These vessels …