South Florida patients suffering from diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), benefitted from advanced therapies and original research that took place right in their backyard in 2007. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in Americans above the age of 60.

New treatments being administered through clinical trials are now showing evidence of reversing the onset of blindness from diabetic retinopathy, which is the second leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 and over.

Ellie Yano, a 67-year-old woman from Boynton Beach had vision loss so severe that she became legally blind due to diabetic retinopathy. Yano was treated with a drug called Lucentis, which was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 for the treatment of macular degeneration.

The treatment involves the patient receiving one injection in the eye each month. Yano began receiving the Lucentis treatment 10 months ago prior to the study as an off-label usage. Within two months, her vision was better and continues to improve with each treatment. She is no longer legally blind and has been cleared to drive again. She is also able to read her daily newspapers and books, which she was unable to do prior to the treatment.

This year looks even better not only for AMD and diabetic retinopathy, but also for patients suffering from venous occlusive diseases.

"Retinal medicine is changing rapidly," said Adrian Laviņa, M.D., of Retina Care Specialists in Palm Beach Gardens and Stuart. "We now have new medicines that are proving to be more effective in the treatment of retinal diseases. There is a lot at stake for physicians and for our patients."

In 2008, Dr Laviņa and his practice partner, Mark Michels, M.D., F.A.C.S., are offering three new clinical trials to their patients with wet AMD. All three trials are designed, in part, to reduce the frequency of use of expensive medication and to provide some competition in the marketplace.

Both physicians hope that encouraging early data may prove that new treatments will offer a 50% greater chance of achieving 20/40 vision - the number required to hold a Florida driver's license - than current treatment.

"Our goal is to deliver advanced therapies today through clinical trials that someday may become the standard of care. At the same time, we are trying find out how medicines used in combination may further help our patients," said Dr. Michels. "We are concerned about the viability of our health care system as we learn about how new, but potentially expensive, treatments benefit our patients. We feel that it is in our patients' best interest to practice evidence-based medicine, which is why we continue to utilize advanced medications and to participate in promising clinical trials."

In December, Drs. Laviņa and Michels were invited to present their original research at the 25th annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists (www.asrs.org), which is the largest gathering of academic and private practice retina specialists in the world. They shared early and promising results from a new approach to treating extensive bleeding under the macula in the wet form of AMD. In addition, they discussed results from their study on venous occlusive disease and diabetic macular edema, which are the second and third leading causes of blindness respectively.

In addition to wet AMD patients, new trials are open for diabetic macular edema and edema associated with BRVO and CRVO. For more information or to inquire about participating in a clinical trial, please visit www.retinacarespecialists.com.

Mark Michels, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Adrian Laviņa, M.D. of Retina Care Specialists are board certified and fellowship-trained ophthalmologists who focus in diseases and surgery of the retina, vitreous, and macula.