Eye implant approved to treat blindness

The US FDA has approved a telescope that will help to restore vision in those suffering from macular degeneration. The telescope device will help to treat age-related, end-stage macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 60. Macular degeneration is a disorder that damages the retina, and causes eventual blindness. Those affected usually get worse with time, and by the time it reaches the end stage, they can not see faces or much of anything but a blur.

The device works by being placed into one eye acting as a telescope. It will work to replace the natural lens, by magnifying and displaying the image onto a healthy part of the retina, according to CNN. The non-implanted eye will then be used for peripheral vision.

Although, it does not work like magic, that is, patients won't be able to restore their vision fully, it will definitely restore their vision enough so that they can see much better than they could before, and I'm sure affected individuals will be thankful for that. This is truly an amazing discovery, as my own grandmother was diagnosed with macular degeneration last year, and in one year she has almost fully become blind. However, during the course of this year, the option of treating her has gone from nothing to this now, a new treatment that will potentially have the ability to restore her vision. Hopefully, they will soon be able to develop a preventative measure for macular degeneration based on this newfound discovery.