Cataract and Maculopathy can often be associated as they are both diseases of adulthood. Treating them together is now possible thanks to the latest developments in 2024 in cataract surgery and the treatment of Maculopathy.

Cataract surgery consists of removing the cataract (opaque lens inside the eye) and replacing it with a transparent intraocular lens. There are intraocular lenses available today for those suffering from Maculopathy and cataracts.

In Maculopathy the central part of the retina called the macula is diseased but the surrounding part of the retina is usually healthy. The new intraocular lenses for Maculopathy and cataracts improve vision because they shift images from the diseased macula to the healthier surrounding retina.

Cataract: Symptoms and Treatment

A cataract is the opacity of a lens that is located inside the eye and is called the crystalline lens. This lens is transparent at birth and becomes opaque with age.

The symptoms of cataracts are as follows

– discomfort in front of lights

– alteration of colours

– blurred vision

Surgery is the only solution to the symptoms caused by cataracts. In the presence of maculopathy and cataracts, cataract surgery should only be performed when the maculopathy is stable.

First it is important to treat the Maculopathy and then when the Maculopathy is stable the cataract is treated. The damage produced by Maculopathy is not reversible while that produced by cataracts is. The sight one loses from cataracts is regained after surgery, the sight one loses from maculopathy is more difficult to regain.

In 2024, treating cataracts in a patient with stable Maculopathy can also greatly improve vision. The cataract is removed with laser and ultrasound and an intraocular lens specifically for Maculopathy is inserted into the eye.

There are different intraocular lenses for Cataract and Maculopathy: the most commonly used is the EyeMax lens that our clinic brought to Italy and helped develop.

Other frequently used lenses include the following:

• Smaller-Incision New-Generation IMT (SING IMT)
• Scharioth Macular IOL
• Lentis MAX.

Our centre can indicate which intraocular lens is most suitable for different types of cataract and maculopathy.

Maculopathy: Symptoms and Treatment

Maculopathy is the disease of the macula, i.e. the central part of the retina responsible for seeing the images in front of us.

The symptoms of Maculopathy are initially image distortion, and as the disease progresses, there is a reduction in central vision that makes it difficult to drive, read and recognise faces.

There are two main forms of Maculopathy:

1. Wet Maculopathy – Evolves quickly and must be treated promptly with Intravitreal Injections of AntiVEGF Drugs. These are injections of specific drugs given inside the eye usually monthly in the acute phase of the disease.
2. Dry Maculopathy – Evolves more slowly than the wet form. It is related to an inflammation of the macula mediated by the complement (a molecule that is in our body). There is no universally accepted specific cure to date. In the USA there have been two approved therapies for the dry form for about a year now; these are intravitreal injections to be given monthly.
   One drug is Syfovre and the other is Izervay. Neither of these is currently available in Europe. The use of the former was rejected in Europe by the EMA (European Medicines Agency) in January 2024. However, it is assumed that by 2024 at least one of the two will become available in Europe.

When Maculopathy is associated with cataracts, the latter further contributes to decreased vision. Operating on cataracts can help improve the eyesight of cataract and maculopathy sufferers. However, maculopathy should have been stable for at least three months before having cataract surgery.

New Cataract and Maculopathy Cures in 2024

In 2024, treating cataract and maculopathy together is possible and advantageous because there are maculopathy-specific intraocular lenses that are inserted into the eye at the time of cataract and in some cases after cataract surgery.

It is a priority to treat the maculopathy and ensure that it is stable before having cataract surgery. Stabilising maculopathy in 2024 is easier because there are new drugs that have just been approved for the treatment of wet maculopathy.

New drugs for the treatment of dry maculopathy are now in use in the USA and should also be available in Europe by the end of 2024.

Our clinic offers all these innovative treatments for cataracts and maculopathy and we are happy to provide further information. In the testimonials section you will find the experience of patients who have been operated on at our clinic.

More Info on How to Cure Cataracts and Maculopathy?

Call us Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on 02 36523300

See testimonials of patients operated at our clinic.

Discover our long experience in the USA.

Or write us here and you will be contacted by us with information about the most innovative techniques to treat Cataract and Maculopathy.