For years, the only way to stop this leakage was with surgery using a heat laser, called photocoagulation therapy. The impact of the blind spot depends on its size and location with regard to central vision. The patient is given a photosensitizing drug called Visudyne that concentrates in the abnormal vessels behind the retina. When the laser is shone on the macula, the drug is activated and those vessels are destroyed. Recently approved by the FDA, the treatment requires no hospitalization, and patients can return to normal activities almost immediately.
Patients sometimes experience temporary vision loss, which subsides within a few weeks.
The only drawback is a high recurrence rate, says Sternberg. But that is offset by the relative ease and low risk of the procedure. With wet macular degeneration, recurrence is a problem no matter what treatment you use. Once you get to the wet stage, it becomes very difficult to stop. It is very persistent.