A retinal implant is a microchip or a tiny computer device that is surgically inserted in the retina of the eye. It stimulates the light receptors contained in the retina in order to restore eyesight. The retina is found at the back portion of the eye, and transmits signals to the brain about the images it receives. For patients with degenerative eye conditions and other age-related eye disorders, light receptors in the retina often malfunction, die or decrease in number. These often lead to the progressive decline of vision and eventually, to blindness.
Subretinal implant and epiretinal implant are the two types of retinal implants. A subretinal implant is mainly inserted beneath the retina. An epiretinal implant, on the other hand, is placed above the retina. Either of them work in restoring vision by powering light-sensitive cells in the retina and allowing the transmission of messages from the eyes to the brain.
Retinal implant patients are generally between 18 and 78 years old, often diagnosed with degenerative eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia, or macular degeneration. Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye problem resulting in the progressive destruction of the retina. Choroideremia is also an inherited eye disease affecting mainly men, while macular degeneration is often a result of old age. These patients have been blind for less than 20 years, but they also had use of their vision for at least 12 years.
Dry macular degeneration is a chronic eye disease that causes vision loss in the center of your field of vision. Dry macular degeneration is marked by deterioration of the macula (MAK-u-luh), which is in the center of the retina. The layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eyeball.
Dry macular degeneration is one of two types of age-related macular degeneration. The other type — wet macular degeneration — is characterized by blood vessels that grow under the retina in the back of the eye, leaking blood and fluid. Dry macular degeneration is the more common form of the disease.
Dry macular degeneration may worsen your quality of life by causing blurred central vision or a blind spot in your central vision. You need clear central vision for many tasks, such as reading, driving and recognizing faces
Retinal transplant seems to be the new buzzword doing the rounds in medical circles nowadays after eye surgeons asserted that they may be able to restore sight to some blind people with such a transplant mechanism.
Preliminary research has shown encouraging results with transplantation of retinal cells in patients with blindness caused by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
DEAR DOCTOR DEDHIA & ALL AT LASER EYE CENTER ;
It is been a wonderful experience to know you all and also to be treated by such a friendly and excellent team of professionals. What you all have done for me is just inexplicable all can say is "Thank you so much" for doing this wonder on my eyes.
It really feels great to have an aid less vision.
May God bless all of you all health and happiness and wish you all the very best for your work!
It's been a month since the LASIK surgery and i feel quite relieved not having to bother with contact lenses, glasses and not being able to see. Now, I feel good coz I can see clearly with no hassles, and relieved from glasses after 10 years.
I am writing how I feel after having LASIK surgery.
I had surgery 6 months ago (4/2002). Before that my eyesight was not so seriously bad but I needed glass in lectures in college. It was headache to wear glasses during hot season as glasses came down up to half of my nose. So usually I didn’t wear glasses except lectures. But, I think, I missed half of my life which pleased me without seeing things around me clearly.
Now after surgery, my life has changed. I can see whatever I want to see without any irritation (wearing glasses). I feel I can enjoy daily life double. It is worth much more than I paid for the surgery. In Japan it costs 4 times. I have recommended my Japanese friends living in India. They are also interested in Lasik and I hope they will come to have surgery to Dr. Niteen. Comfortibility can change life.
I really appreciate Dr. Niteen & his all staff.