Where to treat atrophy of the optic nerve

One of the common causes of visual impairment is optic atrophy. Incorrect and untimely treatment of this disease leads to a complete and irreversible loss of visual perception.

Methods for the treatment of optic nerve atrophy

Therapy for optic atrophy must necessarily be complex, long-lasting and aimed at eliminating the causes that caused the disease, as well as improving the blood supply and nourishment of nerve fibers.

Medications :

1. Vasodilators( No-shpa, Eufillin, Curantil);
2. Metabolic agents( Mildronate, Actovegin, Emoxipine);
3. Preparations of vitamins from groups B, E, C, A;
4. Antioxidant agents( Diabetine);
5. Nootropics( Nootropil, Fezam).

The mechanism of action of drugs is associated with the expansion of the vessels of the optic nerve and eyeball, the improvement of metabolic processes and the activation of oxygen consumption in cells. All funds are administered under the conjunctiva or in the area around the eyeball.

Physiotherapy methods

The methods of physiotherapeutic treatment are also aimed at increasing blood flow in the atrophic optic nerve and surrounding tissues.

Galvanization is one of the methods of electrotherapy, the essence of which is the action of a constant and continuous electric current with low force and low voltage. The therapeutic effect comes at the expense of improving microcirculation in vessels supplying the optic nerve, increasing the activity of all kinds of metabolism and enhancing the permeability of tissues for medicines.

Direct electrophoresis on the optic nerve region is another electrotherapy method, based on increasing the activity of drugs under the action of a constant electric current. Perfection of technologies of eye microsurgery allows to bring electrodes directly to the site of atrophy and, thereby, repeatedly strengthen the therapeutic effect of medicines.

Electrostimulation is an effect on the atrophic optic nerve with the help of weak pulses of alternating electric current with a certain frequency. The therapeutic effect is achieved through the activation and synchronization of nerve impulses between the retina and nerve fibers.

To date, in the ophthalmology apply methods of electrostimulation:

• Percutaneous - the application of electrodes is carried out on the skin around the eyeball.
• Transconjunctival - electrodes are applied directly to the cornea.
• Implantation - surgically the electrodes are implanted in the optic nerve sheaths.
• Magnetotherapy is a method of physiotherapy using various types of magnetic field: constant, alternating and pulsed. The therapeutic effect of this type of therapy is due to the intensification of trophic processes and regeneration, the activation of blood circulation and the intensification of oxygen consumption by cells.
• Laser therapy is the use of a low energy laser for therapeutic purposes, which stimulates blood circulation and lymph drainage, accelerates the processes of tissue repair, makes metabolism more effective.

Surgical methods

Technique of operative treatment of optic atrophy exists quite a lot, but all of them are aimed at increasing blood flow, both in the optic nerve and in surrounding tissues.

Vasoconstructive surgery increases the blood supply to the orbital artery due to the redistribution of blood flow from other areas. This is achieved by tying small vascular branches of the carotid, temporal or parietal arteries.

Extrascleral surgeries have a therapeutic effect by creating a foci of aseptic inflammation in the tissues surrounding the optic nerve. To do this, transplant your own tissues, which leads to increased blood supply in this area.

Decompression operations can improve the outflow of venous blood by cutting the bony or scleral optic nerve canal. This leads to a decrease in the pressure inside the nerve bundle and to the improvement of its functioning.

Choroid revascularization - stimulation of new vessel growth due to transplantation into the subarachnoid space of several bundles of the rectus muscle of the eye.

Treatment of optic atrophy is successfully carried out in clinics in Russia, as well as in medical centers in Germany and Israel.

The clinics in Russia are well established:

Eye center "Vostok-prozrenie"
Moscow, B. Tishinsky per., 38( Belorusskaya metro station)
Telephone:( 495) 223-32-75

"SM-Clinic"
Moscow, Yaroslavskaya, 4/2
Telephone:( 495) 777-48-49

Ophthalmological clinic "Excimer"
Moscow, ul.3
Telephone:( 495) 620-35-55

Foreign clinics:

University clinic of Freiburg
Germany, Freiburg, str. Robert-Koch 79106
Telephone: +49 761 270 84240

Medical Center Assuta
Israel, Tel-Aviv Str.24
Phone: +972 375 275 10