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SCIENTISTS in Scotland are developing a laser cure that will revolutionise treatment for cataracts, the most common cause of blindness.
The current treatment for cataracts, which blur vision as the lens of the eye becomes increasingly cloudy, is the most common surgical procedure carried out by the NHS, with around 350,000 operations performed annually in the UK and millions more worldwide every year.
Although effective in most cases, surgery involves replacing the clouded natural lens with a plastic alternative and can lead to complications such as infection, especially in the developing world.
Now scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have been awarded ?2.7 million by the European Commission and the Medical Research Council to develop a laser therapy that could be used globally.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/scots-scientists-develop-laser-cure-for-cataracts-1-3242146
The current treatment for cataracts, which blur vision as the lens of the eye becomes increasingly cloudy, is the most common surgical procedure carried out by the NHS, with around 350,000 operations performed annually in the UK and millions more worldwide every year.
Although effective in most cases, surgery involves replacing the clouded natural lens with a plastic alternative and can lead to complications such as infection, especially in the developing world.
Now scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have been awarded ?2.7 million by the European Commission and the Medical Research Council to develop a laser therapy that could be used globally.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/health/scots-scientists-develop-laser-cure-for-cataracts-1-3242146