Eye Hospital launches revolutionary treatment on NHS in Manchester

A tiny telescope is placed in the eye

Manchester Royal Eye Hospital is the first NHS hospital in the UK to offer a new telescope implant for end-stage age-related macular degeneration. Everywhere else in the UK it is only available in private hospitals.

AMD attacks the sensitive part of the back of the eye responsible for central, detailed vision. The result is a central "blind spot" and generally blurred sight that makes recognising faces and daily activities difficult.AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in the developed world and more than 600,000 people in the UK are living with it.

Smaller than a pea, the implant uses a unique, micro-optical technology to magnify images approximately 3 times. The images are projected onto the healthy part of the retina, making it possible to again use the central vision.

Afterwards patients are able to see 3 to 4 lines better on eye test chart.

As part of the treatment programme, CentraSight’s tiny telescope implant is placed in the eye via an operation similar to a cataract operation.

MREH is the second largest eye hospital in the UK and has, for over 200 years, been at the forefront of ophthalmic care.