myopic maculopathy- will this lead to total blindness?

[blondee28]

Dr Hagan,
i have just been diagnosed with myopic maculopathy, having sought medical treatment for what i have been told was a thin bleed. the blood disappated within 2 months without any need for medical intervention. My vision remains distorted in the affected eye but i am able to continue working and driving at this stage. th retinal specialist told me that my vision will progressively deteriorate, but of course cannot give a time frame. he did say that i wont wake one day and be blind, it will be progressive, but that the progression could be rapid.  I have been told there is no treatment. And like many am finding it almost impossible to find any information. I am privately very anxious about my future and finding it difficult to think all i can do is sit back and wait for darkness to take over.
Is there anywhere i can get reputable information?
thanking you

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1. There are many discussions on these eye forums on myopic macular degeneration
2. myopic maculopathy is a form of macular degeneration. The other condition you read about is age related macular degeneration. You could get that too as you get older. I would follow all the recommendations that help age related macular degeneration.
3. there is way to predict what your vision will be in 5 or 10 or 15 years.
4. myopic wet or dry type macular degeneration does not lead to complete blindness.
5. Many of my patients with high myopia maintain good vision their entire life.

JCH MD

[blondee28]

thank you for your reply.
my retinal specialist told me that i dont have Macular degeneration and definately diagnosed the condition as myopic maculopathy. there is a myriad of information on macular degeneration , mostly in respect of seniors, which im not.   i cant find anything in respect of myopic maculopathy. Its hard to plan when you dont know what to expect. I dont know whether to quit work and spend my savings travelling the world whilst i  can see, or is this premature and panic driven. as realistically I could have 10 years of working life ahead of me before things worsen? So many questions.
Does the condition progress in the same way, at the same rate as MD?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1. Myopic macular degeneration will never make the eye totally blind because the macula is only 5% of the retina and the side or perpheral vision is unaffected.
2. There are two types of MDeg   one sort of dry and the other "wet" with bleeding and it is treated with injections of Avastin or Lucentis.
3. There are many informative discussions of myopic MD  that you should read use the search feature and archives.
JCH