A man left blind in one eye after being hit by a stone as a child has regained sight after surgeons re-attached his retina in a ground-breaking operation, 55 years after the accident.
The man was left completely blind in his right eye after an accident in th 1950s when he was just eight-years-old.
Last year, aged 63, he entered the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary complaining of persistent pain and redness in the eye.
Doctors found he had glaucoma and high eye pressure. After treating the eye pressure and, using a technique called monoclonal antibody therapy, treating the glaucoma, he told them that he could perceive light again.
Encouraged, the doctors suggested they try to reattach the retina. They performed an operation to do so and afterwards, the man had recovered his sight to such an extent that he could count fingers more than 15ft (five metres).
When a retina has been detached for so long, degenerative changes usually occur that make restoring sight impossible.
Dr Olusola Olawoye, of the infirmary, said: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of visual recovery in a patient with long-standing traumatic retinal detachment.
He added: This is not only a great result for our patient but has implications for restoring eyesight in other patients.
In the future retinal reattachments after long periods could be aided with the use of stem cells to regenerate diseased retinas, he added.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8579809/Man-regains-sight-in-eye-after-55-years.html
The man was left completely blind in his right eye after an accident in th 1950s when he was just eight-years-old.
Last year, aged 63, he entered the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary complaining of persistent pain and redness in the eye.
Doctors found he had glaucoma and high eye pressure. After treating the eye pressure and, using a technique called monoclonal antibody therapy, treating the glaucoma, he told them that he could perceive light again.
Encouraged, the doctors suggested they try to reattach the retina. They performed an operation to do so and afterwards, the man had recovered his sight to such an extent that he could count fingers more than 15ft (five metres).
When a retina has been detached for so long, degenerative changes usually occur that make restoring sight impossible.
Dr Olusola Olawoye, of the infirmary, said: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of visual recovery in a patient with long-standing traumatic retinal detachment.
He added: This is not only a great result for our patient but has implications for restoring eyesight in other patients.
In the future retinal reattachments after long periods could be aided with the use of stem cells to regenerate diseased retinas, he added.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8579809/Man-regains-sight-in-eye-after-55-years.html
