Valeda Light Therapy for Dry AMD

Treat Dry AMD in Minutes, Without Injections or Surgery

In the past, a dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) diagnosis came with frustrating advice: take your eye vitamins, monitor your vision at home, and come back in six months. Patients were asked to watch their sight slowly fade with no real way to fight back.

Valeda changes that. The Valeda® Light Delivery System is the first treatment authorized by the FDA that has been shown in clinical trials to improve vision in people with dry AMD, and Eyesight Ophthalmic Services now offers it at our Seacoast offices. No needles, no operating room, just a few relaxing minutes in a chair while light does the work.

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Why Valeda Stands Apart

Plenty of therapies for AMD, like injections and surgery, ask a lot of patients. Valeda asks almost nothing:

Nothing touches your eye during treatment
Sessions last only minutes per eye
No dilation is required for treatment, and there is no recovery period
You can drive yourself home and carry on with your day

And unlike eye vitamins, which can only reduce the risk of progression, Valeda is the only FDA-authorized option with clinical trial evidence of actual vision improvement in dry AMD.

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What Is Valeda?

Valeda is a breakthrough, non-invasive medical device developed by LumiThera (now part of Alcon) that uses photobiomodulation (PBM), a form of gentle, painless light therapy clinically proven to improve vision in patients with dry AMD.

The retina requires significant energy, supplied by mitochondria within each retinal cell. In dry AMD, mitochondrial function declines, leading to waste accumulation, increased inflammation, and the formation of yellowish deposits known as drusen beneath the retina.

Valeda targets the problem at its source. During treatment, Valeda delivers precise doses of yellow (590 nm), red (660 nm), and near-infrared (850 nm) light to the retina. Mitochondria absorb these wavelengths and respond by producing energy more efficiently.

With more energy available, retinal cells are better equipped to clear waste products, reduce inflammation, and resist the degeneration that drives dry AMD. This can slow the progression of dry AMD and improve visual acuity, offering long-term protection against vision loss.

What the Clinical Evidence Shows

Valeda earned its FDA authorization through LIGHTSITE III, a randomized, double-masked trial that followed patients at 10 U.S. retina centers for two full years. Here is what the data showed:

63 %

of patients treated with Valeda showed measurable improvement in vision over the course of the study.*

75 %

reduction in progression toward geographic atrophy, an advanced, vision-robbing stage of dry AMD, compared to untreated patients.*

53 %

fewer patients experienced worsening of their vision during the two-year study period compared to the control group.*

~

1

Full Line
Patients gained an average of approximately 1 full line on the eye chart compared with those not receiving treatment.*

In a long-term extension study (LIGHTSITE IIIB), patients maintained vision benefits for up to 4.5 years, even after a 20-month treatment pause, and regained vision improvements with retreatment.

For someone living with AMD, gaining or preserving even one line of vision can mean the difference between reading independently, recognizing the faces of loved ones, and keeping a driver's license.

*Based on data from the LIGHTSITE clinical trial program. Individual results may vary.

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What Does Treatment Look Like?

A Valeda visit feels less like a medical procedure and more like sitting for a photograph. You rest your chin on the device, gentle light is delivered to each eye for a few minutes, and you are finished. There's no pain and no downtime, and most patients return to their normal daily activities immediately.

An Initial Series of 9 Sessions Per Eye
Treatment begins with 9 sessions per eye spread across 3 to 5 weeks. Our scheduling team will help you find appointment times that work around your life, not the other way around.

Maintenance Visits
Because dry AMD is an ongoing condition, the benefits of Valeda are maintained with repeat treatment cycles, typically every 4 months. Your eye doctor will structure your long-term plan based on how your retina responds.

Monitoring Along the Way
Throughout your care, we track your retinal health with advanced imaging so you and your eye doctor can see how your eyes are doing over time.

Am I a Candidate for Valeda?

Valeda is intended for people with early to intermediate dry AMD who still have useful central vision, which is exactly the window when the most sight remains to protect. It is not used for wet, or neovascular, AMD; for eyes that have already developed significant central geographic atrophy; or for patients with certain light-sensitive conditions, such as epilepsy or specific migraine disorders.

A thorough evaluation with one of our retina specialists is the first step. If you have been told you have drusen, early macular changes, or dry AMD, our retina team will perform a detailed exam, review advanced retinal imaging, confirm your stage of AMD, establish your baseline vision, and determine whether Valeda is appropriate for you.

Some insurance plans are beginning to cover Valeda treatment for patients who meet specific criteria, including vision generally between 20/40 and 20/70. Patients who do not meet their insurance plan’s coverage requirements may still be candidates for treatment, but Valeda would likely be considered an out-of-pocket expense. Our team will review your options with you before treatment begins so you understand both candidacy and cost.

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Why Choose Eyesight Ophthalmic Services for Valeda?

For decades, Eyesight Ophthalmic Services has been Northern New England’s leading provider of medical and surgical eye care, with a retina team dedicated to protecting and improving the vision of patients with macular degeneration. Offering Valeda reflects our ongoing commitment to bringing the most advanced, evidence-based treatments to the Seacoast.

Our retina specialists will take the time to perform a thorough evaluation, review your retinal imaging, assess the stage of your condition, and walk you through exactly what Valeda can and cannot do for your eyes.

With convenient locations in Portsmouth, Exeter, and Somersworth, NH, as well as Kittery and Sanford, ME, expert dry AMD care is never far from home.

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Don't Wait, Protect Your Vision Today

Dry AMD progresses over time, and the earlier you act, the more vision you can protect. Valeda gives you a real, proven, non-invasive option, right here on the Seacoast.

Call 603-436-1773 or request an appointment online to schedule your Valeda consultation with Eyesight Ophthalmic Services today.

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