Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Limited macular translocation for wet age related macular degeneration.
NICE has also issued full guidance on macular translocation with 360° retinotomy for wet age related macular degeneration (NICE interventional procedures guidance 340).
These replace the previous guidance on Macular translocation for age-related macular degeneration (NICE interventional procedures guidance 48, March 2004).
Description
Age-related macular degeneration is an eye disorder that causes problems with central vision (seeing things straight in front of you) and affects the part of the retina (the back of the eye) called the macula. Wet macular degeneration happens because fluid leaks into the area under the macula causing scarring.
The aim of macular translocation is to improve vision. It involves cutting and moving the macula on an a nearby healthier area of the retina.
A small cut is made in the retina to get to the outer layers of the eye. A ‘tuck’ is put into these layers with a stitch so that the macula ends up lying over a different part of the choroid layer. This ‘tuck’ method is called limited macular translocation.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance.