First bionic eye transplant performed in the UK. The prosthesis was implanted in 80-year-old Ray Flynn, who, due to his age, developed retinal degeneration - macular degeneration, which is a common cause of blindness in many countries of the world.
The elderly Briton was almost completely blind - everything that was in the center of his gaze was covered with a black spot, he had only a small part of his peripheral vision. According to the man, he could not pay for purchases in the store, take care of the garden, but most of all he worried about the inability to watch the matches of his favorite team, Manchester United.
The surgeons implanted an Argus II prosthesis in Flynn. It works in combination with special glasses on which a miniature video camera is installed. The resulting image is converted by the bionic eye into electrical impulses and transferred to electrodes attached to the retina, which healthy cells send information to the brain. Previously, this implant was used only to help patients with a rare hereditary disease - retinitis pigmentosa.
According to the BBC, the innovative operation took place a few weeks ago, but doctors were able to talk about its successful outcome only now. According to ophthalmology professor Paulo Stang, the patient is making progress. Flynn was able to recognize the lines on the computer screen, while his eyes were closed - visual information went through the camera and the implant.
“I think this could be the beginning of a new era for patients with vision loss. We very much hope that this technology will help people, including children with other forms of vision loss,”said Stanga.
It should be noted that the Argus II does not provide an absolutely clear "picture". With its help, patients can distinguish outlines of objects, movements. So Ray Flynn has yet to learn how to interpret prosthetic images more efficiently.
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