SYSTEMTHERAPY OF MACULAR DEGENERATION

PURPOSE: Pathophysiological shift from local vascular mechanics of the disease to neuro-cortical thermodynamics. Consequently enlarged and differenciated treatment of the whole perceptive system.

METHOD AND MATERIALS: Within a period of 12 years we treated more than 850 patients with dry and about 342 patients with exsudative MD by systemtherapy, i.e. para-bulbar injections combined with novocain-therapy, acupuncture, eye-movement-training and color-vision-training. Radiotherapy is only applied for exsudative MD.
The physical basis of our therapy is the second principle of thermodynamics (entropy) which considers the visual system as an unstable non-linear complex unity.

SYSTEM-THERAPY considers visual functions as connected with other sensory elements (ears, nose tongue). This is demonstrated at the example of a spider´s web.

The application of artificial energy (vasodilatation) turns the dry reversible MD into a humid irreversible form and must be therefore avoided.
RESULTS: The results depend upon the age of the patients: People at the age of 60 : improvement of visual acuity and improvement of visual field: 30-50%, older than 70 years: stabilization of vision and improvement of visual field; older than 80 years there is normally no improvement to be expected. Intelligence and motivation are in general presuppositions for good results. The initial vision is one of the most important factors for the prognosis of our treatment: The less the visual function, the worse the prognosis.

Evaluation of the therapeutical results of 3684 cases from 10 000 patients the aspect of age. Duration of
observation: 20 years. Due to the irregularity of the disease, dry MD can alter to humid MD and vice versa
after treatment or surgical intervention. Even patients older than 80 years can achieve a significant
improvement of vision and visual field ( up to 49%) provided they cooperate. For more information see our
recent publication: "20 Jahre Systemtherapie der Maculadegeneration, Statistische Auswertung" and also
"Systhemtherapie der Maculadegeneration".