The Intraocular Lens for Visually Impaired Patients (IOLVIP or IOL-VIP) is an intraocular lens system aiming to treat patients with poor central vision due to age related macular degeneration. The IOLVIP procedure involves the surgical implantation of a pair of lenses that magnify and divert the image using the principals of the Galilean telescope.^[1] By arranging the lenses it is possible to direct the image to a different part of the eye than the fovea, which is the centre of the macula and is usually used for detailed vision. The magnified image is projected on to a part of the eye not normally used for detailed vision. Magnification and patient training are both necessary to allow useful vision from this part of the retina.

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It is a procedure to give symptomatic relief rather than treat disease and is best understood as an implanted miniature telescope.^[2]

The procedure was pioneered in Italy and has since been taken to the UK and USA. It should not be used in anyone with active (that is changing) macular degeneration.^[3] It can be used in both "burned out" wet macular degeneration and in dry or atrophic macular degeneration. A telescopic simulator can be used to assess whether the surgery might be helpful, and to establish the best rotation for the two lenses.^[4]