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 Epiretinal brachytherapy for wet age related macular degeneration.
Description
Macular degeneration affects the area of the back of the eye that responsible for central vision (the macula). There are two types – ‘dry’ and ‘wet’. The wet form is caused by bleeding from the formation of new blood vessels. Loss of vision is progressive and often rapid.
Radiotherapy has been used in people with wet age-related macular degeneration to treat the new blood vessels growing under the macula. A probe is carefully inserted into the eye through a small incision and radiation therapy used to destroy the new blood vessels. The aim of this procedure is to slow down sight loss or stabilise the patient’s vision.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance