![]() She had an excellent response when the device was turned on. The device was first set up to activate each electrode in the prosthesis via an external computer program. The implant was turned on three weeks and two days after her surgery. “We ended up surgically implanting the retinal prosthesis successfully, and thankfully she has not had any post-operative complications. ![]() There was no promising treatment for this degenerative disease until recently. ![]() She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (a degenerative retinal disease) many years ago and was being seen at Stony Brook intermittently. “She was living in a world where she may have been able to see a flicker of light using any residual functional retina she had. Linda Kirk has been blind for over 20 years,” Dr. The information is then transmitted to the intraocular prosthesis wirelessly, which gives the patient visual stimulations artificially. The VPU converts the image and transmits it to an RF coil that is at the side of the glasses. The images the camera captures are transmitted to a video processing unit (VPU) that is placed on the hip of the patient (size of an old cell phone). “The patient wears a pair of glasses that has a small camera over the bridge of the nose. Once the surgery is done, the eye is given 3-5 weeks to heal at which point the device will be turned on. “The case attaches to an array that is placed inside of the eye on the retinal surface and tacked down. “The retinal prosthesis system consists of an intraocular portion, which has an external antenna and electronics case,” Dr. Kirk continues to learn more about the system and interpreting what she sees, as the brain adjusts to the “artificial vision” technology. This innovation at Stony Brook gives hope to those who have been completely blind for years with the degenerative condition. A second and third case were performed on Oct. Stony Brook is just one of 19 sites that do this surgery in the United States, said Dr. Implanted in her left eye, the device is used to activate “artificial vision” for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder that breaks down cells in the retina and leads to partial or full blindness. The device, called the Argus II retinal prosthesis system, is also known as the bionic eye. And it all happened within 10 minutes after an implanted retinal device was activated within her eye at Stony Brook Medicine. The first commercially available retinal implant surgery was performed in October by Khurram Chaudhary, M.D., a Retinal Surgeon at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.Īfter 20 years of blindness, the patient, Linda Kirk, 67, of Port Jefferson, can now distinguish light from dark, some shapes, and movements. You will need to avoid heavy lifting for about 4 weeks, or until your doctor says it is okay.Stony Brook Medicine is the first hospital on Long Island and across the New York metropolitan area to implant a new commercially available retinal device known as the “bionic eye” to provide artificial vision for patients with retinitis pigmentosa. You will probably be able to go back to work or your normal routine in about 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. You will need to see your doctor often to have your vision checked. Your doctor will give you eyedrops to help your eye heal and prevent your body from rejecting the donor tissue. For some people, it may take 6 to 12 weeks to get the full benefits of surgery and to see as clearly as possible. Your vision may be blurry for a period of time after surgery. Your eye may feel irritated or scratchy for a few days after surgery. Then you will need to wear a clear eye shield or glasses to protect your eye until it has healed. You will also need to wear an eye shield overnight. That part was replaced with healthy corneal tissue from a person who has died.Īfter your transplant, you may be told to lie on your back at times throughout the first few days. It was done to remove a diseased, infected, or scarred part of the cornea. You had a partial thickness corneal transplant (called DSAEK, DMEK, or DALK).
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