Surgeon at UC Irvine Implants Telescope in 94-Year-Old Patient

Dr. Sumit "Sam" Garg, cornea surgeon at UC Irvine Health's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, implanted a tiny telescope in a patient's eye with end-stage macular degeneration (AMD). The first Orange County patient received a telescope implant late last year by fellow cornea surgeon Dr. Marjan Farid. The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine is the only academic institution in Southern California currently implanting the mini telescope for end-stage AMD. Dr. Garg, cornea surgeon at UC Irvine Medical Center and Vice Chair of Clinical Ophthalmology at The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, performed the most recent surgery on a 94-year old patient. The first-of-kind telescope implant is integral to CentraSight™, a new patient care program for treating patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration, the most advanced form of AMD and the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. The FDA approved implant is the only medical/surgical option that improves visual acuity by reducing the impact of the central vision blind spot caused by end-stage AMD. The cost is covered by Medicare. Read more.