Age-related macular degeneration, often called AMD or ARMD, is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans who are age 65 and older. Because people in this group are an increasingly larger percentage of the general population, vision loss from macular degeneration is a growing problem.
AMD is the degeneration of the macula. The Macula is about the size of the capital letter “O” on this page. The macula is a specific area of the retina. It is at the center of the visual field. When looking directly at an object, you are seeing it with the macula, while the rest of the retina provides peripheral vision. Although it represents only a small fraction of the total size of the retina-about the size of the capital letter “O” on this page. The macula is crucial for visually demanding tasks like reading, driving a car, and color vision.
While all physicians at EyeHealth Northwest are trained to diagnose and care for patients with Macular Degeneration, there are some situations that require more specialized care. Doctors Jonathan Yoken, MD, Brian T. Chan-Kai, MD, Elizabeth Verner-Cole, MD and Christopher Aderman, MD are fellowship-trained Vitreoretinal subspecialists who are available for consultation, second opinions, and on-going care.
