Screening Process

Retina Specialist

Every possible candidate is pre-screened by CentraSight. If CentraSight determines that you are a possible candidate for the implantable telescope, a screening visit will be facilitated with our Retina Specialist. The Retina Specialist will perform a dilated eye exam which involves a thorough medical eye examination and a review of your medical history, including any conditions that may increase the likelihood of complications or make the procedure difficult. Your Retina Specialist will explain the benefits and risks of the CentraSight treatment program and answer any questions you may have.

Low Vision Optometrist

If our Retina Specialist confirms that you do have bi-lateral End-Stage-AMD and that you are a good candidate for the telescope implant, a screening visit with our Low-Vision Optometrist is made. During this visit, your vision is tested using an external telescope simulator (ETS). The result of this test can help give you and your CentraSight Team a good idea of what your vision may be like after the telescope implantation surgery and if the effect of the magnification in one eye is useful to you.

Additional Ophthalmology Testing

If our Low Vision Optometrist confirms that you can achieve at least a 5-letter improvement on the ETDRS chart with an External Telescope Simulator (ETS), you will then be scheduled for an IOL Master and Endothelial Cell Density (ECD) measurement.

Low Vision Occupational Therapist

A visit with our Low Vision Occupational Therapist is the next screening visit. During this visit, the Low Vision OT will talk to you about how your new vision status may affect your everyday life and how following a visual training/rehabilitation program after surgery will help you reach your vision goals. You will practice with the ETS on several simple daily activity tasks and the OT will evaluate if you will be able to do well in adapting to your new vision.

Cornea/Cataract Surgeon

The final screening visit is performed by our Cornea/Cataract Surgeon prior to having the surgery. During this visit, we will explain the surgical procedure and review any possible risks that may occur.

Once all your questions have been answered and all screening visits have taken place, we will schedule you for a surgery date and post-op rehabilitation visits with our Low Vision Occupational Therapist.

CentraSight FAQs

IMT Patient Testimonial

Out-of-State Potential Candidates

We are excited that you are considering the Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT). Eligibility for this device is FDA mandated and very strict, and not all potential candidates qualify for the device. We understand that your time is valuable and taking the trip to our treatment center is a bit of a small sacrifice. Therefore, prior to scheduling appointments with our team of experts, we encourage you to provide our office a copy of your medical records from your current eye doctor (ophthalmologist) so that we can evaluate it and determine if you are a potential candidate.

If you have an HMO, you will also need to obtain a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) to see our Retina Specialist. Make sure to let them know that you are requesting this referral because you are interested in getting the Implantable Miniature Telescope.

If you need information on how to obtain lodging during your visit, there are several hotels and rental housing close to our treatment center that is available. You or your PCP can fax your medical records to our office at 909-558-2478.

Will My Insurance Cover the IMT?

The FDA has approved the telescope implant. Many Medicare insurance carriers have established coverage policies for the telescope implant procedure. Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans are required by law to cover medically necessary procedures and services. However, coverage policy and treatment center arrangements may not yet be in place in your area. The exact process is determined by the particular benefit that you have.

Patients under an HMO plan must contact their insurance carrier to determine if these costs are covered.

When a patient is proactive in personally contacting their PCP and insurance carrier about their interest in getting the IMT, it helps with the evaluation process.

To find out if your insurance will cover the telescope implant and procedure, visit the reimbursement page on CentraSight.com.

Our CentraSight Team

IMT Patient Testimonial Video - Warren Ingalls

Warren Ingalls underwent the Implantable Miniature Telescope (IMT) procedure and is experiencing good results.