Determination of patients needing low vision rehabilitation with diagnosis of age related macular degeneration in our clinic

DETERMINATION OF PATİENTS NEEDİNG LOW VISION REHABILITATION WITH DIAGNOSIS OF AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN OUR CLİNİC AIM: The World Health Organization (WHO) was defined low vision as; visual acuity of beter seeing eye lower than 20/70 (0,3) despite appropriate treatment and refractive correction or if the visual acuity is intact the visual field narrower than 20 degrees. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of legal blindness in the elderly. Macular diseases are the most successful areas of low vision rehabilitation process. In this study we aimed to find AMD patients who need low vision rehabilitation. MATHERIALS- METHODS: Patients applied to the retina clinic between July 2013 and February 2014 with AMD (following and newly diagnosed), 45 to 85 years old all patients were included to study. Patients with anterior or posterior segment diseases other than AMD and had ocular surgery were excluded from the study. In the study; age, gender, follow-up periods, the first and last ophthalmologic examination findings, which types of patients AMD, and received treatment were recorded. FINDINGS: A hundered patients enrolled in the study, 46 were female and 54 were male. The mean follow-up time was 17.66 ± 18.92 months. 81% of patients were diagnosed with exudative AMD, 19% were atrophic AMD. 24% of patients were not receiving treatment. Forty percent of patients were need low vision rehabilitation. RESULTS: Our clinic does not have a team dealing with visual rehabilitation. If we considered the number of patients who need rehabilitation, it is evident that the our clinic need a low vision rehabilitation center and equipped staff with a special interest. KeyWords: Low vision, age related macular degeneration, rehabilitation