Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment for the wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). It won’t used to treat the dry AMD. Photodynamic therapy is used only to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). And PDT will be only used for a less number of cases.
By restricting the growth of the abnormal blood vessels under macula, photodynamic therapy will help to prevent the progression of the wet AMD. It doesn’t restore the vision to the eyes that have been already damaged. But it will help to prevent further damage to the retina & further vision loss.
Some experts may think that photodynamic therapy is more effective & less destructive than the laser surgery. Photodynamic therapy can be better able to target blood vessels without destruction of the nerve cells in the macula & retina.
In photodynamic therapy, a light-sensitive medicine known as verteporfin(Visudyne) has been injected into the bloodstream. The medicine collects in the abnormal blood vessels under macula. Laser light is then shone into the eye, which will activate the medicine & causes it to create the blood clots which will block the abnormal blood vessels.
Sealing leaky blood vessels, photodynamic therapy slows down:
Photodynamic therapy will takes approximately 20 minutes & will be done in a eye clinic. After the surgery the verteporfin medicine is used in PDT makes the skin & eyes more sensitive to the light. After the treatment, avoid direct sunlight for 2 - 5 days. And wear dark sunglasses to protect the eyes from sunlight.