Macular degeneration is the name given to certain conditions affecting the retina which causes loss of central vision. The macula is the small central part of the eye and it plays a critical role in vision. Macular degeneration is difficult to describe because of the variations and progress that differ from person to person. The condition often involves one eye at a time before visual problems are noticed. If both eyes are affected, reading and close-up work may become extremely difficult. Macular degeneration does not cause total blindness.

There is no cure for the most common involutional form, however, the laser has been used to retard the spread of the less common exudative form- if it is applied in the very early stages of the condition.