WHAT IS THE LIKELYHOOD OF LOSING SIGHT IN BOTH EYES?

  I am writing on behalf of my 81 year old mother.
   In Sept, 1998, she visited her optometrist complaining of blurring & "black spots" in her left eye. Diag: macular degeneration.  The next day she underwent laser surgery. Post laser treatment  diag: dry macular degeneration.  Since surgery, she has been using Ilotycin Opth 1 x day @ nite for 7 days once a month in both eyes.  PROBLEM:  the ointment burns her RIGHT eye which underwent cataract surgery in Jan 1998.  The RIGHT eye feels: dry, itchy, scratchy, bluring and a constant "twitch".  She also uses: eyelid cleaner AM & PM in both eyes and TEAR GEL 4 - 6 x day in both eyes, TOBRADEX once a day and, lastly, DILTIAZEM 240mg (anti-stroke med) once a day and 1 aspirin tablet every other day.
  She is distraught and worried that her RIGHT eye will suffer the same diagnosis as her left.  QUESTIONS: Is she likely to lose her sight in her right eye to the same diagnosis?  What, if anything, can be done to save her vision in the remaining eye? Is she a candidate for corrective surgery?  Other than THIS, her health is good.
First let me inform you that the risk of going completely blind from macular degeneration is extremely low.  She does however have an approximate lifetime risk of 25% of losing CENTRAL vision in the other eye.  It is rare to lose peripheral vision from macular degeneration.  The other ophthalmic medications that she is taking are not related to macular degeneration.  It sounds like she is also being treated for dry eyes or a lid infection.  It is important that discuss this with her ophthalmologist so she understands why she is taking these medications.  Hopefully she will not need them for long.  
You should also understand that there is both wet and dry types of macular degeneration.  It is usually the wet type that causes the more sudden and severe vision loss.  In some cases, patients may benefit from laser treatment in this type.  The dry type causes gradual or stable loss of vision. Laser treatment is usually not effective with this type.  Most people with macular degeneration (90%) have the dry type.
This information was provided for medical education purposes only.
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-JL
*Keywords: Macular degeneration