Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration.
This guidance was considered for reassessment in January 2011. It was concluded that NICE will not be updating this guidance as investigations have suggested that radiotherapy for age-related macular degeneration has been superseded by other techniques.
Description
Age-related macular degeneration is the commonest cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Radiotherapy can be used to destroy new vessels in the wet form of macular degeneration. It is usually given as a day treatment. The beam of radiotherapy is angled to avoid damage to the optic nerve and structures in the other eye.
Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance