The Chicago Lighthouse is one of the official Chicagoland locations for the CentraSight Treatment Program!

End-stage, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and legal blindness in persons over 65.  A tiny telescope implant is now available through a treatment program that partners The Chicago Lighthouse and Rush University Medical Center.

The comprehensive treatment program has been designed by CentraSight, the only treatment program available in the United States that uses an FDA-approved implantable telescopic lens.

As part of the CentraSight treatment program, the telescope is implanted inside the eye to improve vision and ultimately quality of life for individuals affected with central vision loss.

Lighthouse President & Executive Director Dr. Janet Szlyk was a member of the FDA advisory panel comprised of vision experts who evaluated the technology and voted to approve this telescopic implant.  “The implanted telescope holds much promise for patients, typically elderly, who suffer from end-stage, age-related macular degeneration.  The device does not cure the disease, but it does improve visual acuity.  People can use it to recognize faces in a social setting, that’s a huge advantage,” said Dr. Szlyk in a New York Times article dated July 18, 2009.

The CentraSight treatment program involves four steps:

  1) Diagnosis of end-stage AMD
  2) Candidate Screening  by low-vision specialists at The Chicago Lighthouse
  3) Implantation surgery at Rush University Medical Center
  4) Rehabilitation at The Chicago Lighthouse

The Chicago Lighthouse’s Forsythe Center for Comprehensive Vision Care is part of a provider team that helps you decide if you are a potential candidate.  The Lighthouse will see patients during the Diagnosis, Screening and Rehabilitation phases, while the Rush University Medical Center’s Department of Ophthalmology will perform telescopic implantation. 

If you would like more information, please visit the websites of CentraSight and Rush University Medical Center or call our Low Vision Clinic Manager Diane Perski at 312-997-3685.