BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – An injection in the eye is nobody’s idea of a pleasant experience, but until recently, a regimen of regular eye injections was the gold standard treatment for patients with dry age-related macular degeneration, aka dry AMD.
Fortunately, the days of eye injections may be history for many patients, thanks to a new FDA-authorized, non-invasive light therapy treatment. Florida Retina Specialists is offering the new treatment option for patients in the early or intermediate stages of dry AMD.
“We are excited to offer a first-of-its-kind treatment for patients with dry Age-related Macular Degeneration and mild to moderate vision loss,” said Dr. David Neely, board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon with Florida Retina Specialists.
Dr. Neely has earned the trust and respect of patients such as Cocoa resident Frederick Swalef, who credits Dr. Neely for saving his eyesight after he diagnosed Swalef with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), the most common type of retinal detachment and one that requires prompt intervention.
“He really, really cares,” Swalef said.
Dr. Neely, who received his medical degree from the University of Alabama, completed his internship in general surgery at Vanderbilt University and is ophthalmology residency at Callahan Eye Hospital at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The final two years of his Fellowship were focused on vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at Retina Consultants of Alabama, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
He joined Florida Retina Specialists in 2018 but left in 2020 for a four-year medical mission.
“We relocated to my wife’s home country of Nicaragua, where we had the opportunity to help establish a free ophthalmology clinic and surgical center.” He explained.
The effort grew into a national referral center that continues to expand free medical and surgical ophthalmic care to underserved communities throughout Nicaragua, as well as in neighboring countries.
Dr. Neely rejoined Florida Retina Specialists, where he continues his mission to provide optimal care for patients.
“I strive to care for every patient with the same attention and respect I would want for my own family,” he said. “It is a blessing to work with the best retina colleagues in the area.”
He is excited at the potential of the Valeda™ PBM(photobiomodulation) light system.
Dr. Neely rejoined Florida Retina Specialists, where he continues his mission to provide optimal care for patients.
“This non-invasive treatment offers patients hope for vision improvement,” Dr. Neely said.
Valeda™ PBM system for dry AMD swaps the needles and injections for photobiomudulation, a treatment that channels specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular repair and reduce inflammation. Light therapy per se is not new and has long been proven beneficial in promoting healing while relieving pain for a range of issues, from skin conditions to musculoskeletal disorders. With ophthalmology, it has been used to treat conditions such as diabetic eye disease, childhood myopia and retinitis pigmentosa. However, it had not been used with dry AMD in the United States until recently, although the treatment modality was embraced by Europe and South America years ago.
Penetrating skin and tissue, the light is absorbed by the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells. This triggers a chain of biological effects to accelerate healing, ease pain and improve tissue function.
Early detection and treatment is imperative to prevent dry AMD from negatively and significantly affecting quality of life, including the patient’s ability to read, drive and recognize faces. Dry AMD causes blurred vision or reduced central vision by breaking down the part of the retina known as the macula, which is responsible for central vision. It can begin in one eye and then progress to the other, or it can develop in both eyes simultaneously.
By exposing the macula to the different wavelengths of light, light therapy can slow disease progression and even improve vision. In studies, 84 percent of Valeda™ PBM-treated patients improved or maintained vision compared to the baseline.
The first phase of treatment includes three applications per week over three consecutive weeks. Treatment is then repeated three times a year for a total of 54 applications administered in six courses over two years.
Painless, non-invasive, dilation-free, anesthesia-free and perhaps most importantly, injection free, Valeda™ PBM, has a lot going for it. In the hands of specialists such as Dr. David Neely and his Florida Retina Specialists colleagues, Dr. Frank Venzara and Dr. Peter Bracha, this therapy has the potential of being light years ahead of previous treatment options.
Florida Retina Specialists welcomes new patients at its offices in Viera and Merritt Island. For more information, visit floridaretinaspecialists.com or call 321-735-8800.
