The Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT) is a tiny pea-sized lens that is placed inside the eye to correct vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD damages central vision, making it difficult or impossible to read, drive, or recognize faces. AMD never causes total blindness since the peripheral vision remains normal, It is the leading cause of central vision loss in senior citizens, affecting more than 15 million people in the U.S. Advanced AMD can be devastating and lead to a significant drop in quality of life.
The IMT truly acts like a telescope, magnifying light as it passes through the eye. This larger image projects onto healthy non-macular tissue allowing patients to gain some central vision. Patients use their IMT eye for central vision and their other eye for peripheral vision.
On Thursday, July 6th, Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers’ Dr. Lawrence Tenkman implanted an IMT into a legally blind senior citizen. This was the first time the procedure was performed in the multi-state area surrounding Louisville, Kentucky. Click here for the WAVE3 TV story about this operation.
Other notable regional surgical ‘firsts” for Bennett & Bloom included two state-of-the-art cataract surgeries, introducing a new type of intraocular lens (IOL), and using a new glaucoma shunt.
Bennett & Bloom Eye Centers already offers a wide variety of treatments and surgeries for different eye problems, including cataracts, retinal disorders, and vision correction. We are proud and very excited to add another way to help our patients reclaim their eyesight.
Contact us to find out what we can do to help you see clearly.