A new surgery that can help restore vision is available in the Bay area.

Doctors put an implantable miniature telescope in the eye that allows patients to see better.

Nine out of 10 patients treated with an IMT saw improved vision by at least two lines on an eye chart, according to a Food and Drug Administration study.

The ideal candidate is 65 years old or older, but a person with severe vision problems can also qualify.

The beginning process to receiving an IMT happens at Low Vision Support, a Bay area optometry center founded by Dr. Ed Huggett, a board-certified optometric physician specializing in low vision and vision rehabilitation.

Huggett said patients can even try it out before it's permanent.

"We could actually show them what their vision would be like with a telescope," said Huggett. "We actually have a simulator and they be actually looking through the telescope that would actually be using to know whether it would be helpful for them or not."

The surgery is not available for people who have cataract surgery. 

Implantable miniature telescopes provide restored sight for people suffering from macular degeneration, a disorder that causes a loss of central vision, the inability to read, make out faces and see in detail.

For more information or if you or someone you know suffers from low vision, visit lowvisionsupport.org to learn more or call 727.463.2579.