[The IOL-Vip system : Principles and clinical application].

There are various retinal disorders that cause macular degeneration. However, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the main cause of legal blindness in developed countries. Even today the end stage of this disease can often not be avoided. Patients suffer from central scotoma and severe vision loss. Low vision aids may help in certain situations, but these devices are often functionally and cosmetically inadequate. The implantation of the IOL-Vip system is a new surgical alternative. The lens system consists of a high negative power lens (-64 D) which is implanted in the capsular bag and a high positive power lens (+53 D) which is implanted in the anterior chamber. An intraocular Galilean telescope is reproduced by this arrangement. The IOL-Vip system provides a magnification of 1.3 without notably compromising the peripheral visual field. Investigations have shown that visual improvement can be achieved after implantation of the IOL-Vip system combined with a rehabilitation program. In particular orientation and the ability of patients to perform everyday tasks showed improvement.