Once the medication has worn off, the patient can return to normal duties. Dr. Rosa has been involved in the research and clinical trials of the new treatment, which was approved in April by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He was part of a recent study in the U.S., Canada and Europe involving more than 600 patients. In this study, there was improvement or stabilization of vision in 61 percent of the patients receiving the medication. One in four Americans over age 75 has some form of age-related macular degeneration.
Medical researchers are still unsure what causes the condition.
Heredity, the normal process of aging, and environment seem to be factors. Patients are advised to talk to the eye surgeon about health coverage and reimbursement. Dr. Rosa is a specialist in medical retinal diseases and ophthalmic pathology. Because of his interest in macular diseases, Dr. Rosa was a principal investigator in the clinical trials involving photodynamic therapy with Visudyne, a new treatment for the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. He completed a fellowship in ophthalmic pathology at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., and another fellowship in medical retinal diseases at Moorfields Eye Hospital, University of London, London, United Kingdom.