Bionic retina at Gemini, surgeon: “From dark to light”

The frontier of the bionic eye is getting closer and closer. An innovative and latest generation retinal prosthesis, the result of international collaboration, was implanted at the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on a 70-year-old blind patient due to a hereditary disease of the retina, who will now “be able to see loved ones again, recognize obstacles and objects. . From absolute darkness, even just giving back a little light is a great result “. Stanislao Rizzo, professor of Ophthalmology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome and director of the Ophthalmology Unit of the Gemelli Irccs Polyclinic Foundation, which performed the surgery, underlines this to Adnkronos Salute. The patient is able to see electronically, thanks to a pair of ‘hi-tech’ glasses connected to the retina. “He had no complications – highlights the surgeon – On paper, the premises of these prostheses are truly exceptional, we wait a few weeks to verify the results. We hope that the patient can recover a complete visual autonomy. At this moment he must do rehabilitation and be accompanied “.” There are diseases of the retina on a hereditary basis which unfortunately lead, fortunately in a small percentage, to complete blindness – explains Rizzo – Well, until a few years ago these diseases were considered incurable; we had to say that to our patients that there was no effective therapy to prevent blindness due to this disease. Today, after years, we manage to have something effective: gene therapy. That is to modify the genetic heritage of patients by introducing a virus, in this case a good pathogen, which brings in the genetic heritage the correction of the ‘error’ in the patient’s DNA. Or, in the more advanced stages of hereditary disease, when the patient’s vision is limited only to light, electronic retinal prostheses “. International experimental protocol, collaboration with an Israeli and a German company ‘”I started the experience on these prostheses in 2011 in Tuscany – says Rizzo – They were retinal prostheses called’ Argus’, which had 60 electrodes and with which we had good results: the patient recovered some autonomy, he could see the images, the shadows and the objects. A few days ago here at Gemelli we used a new, even more sophisticated retinal prosthesis system, with more than 400 electrodes, which assures the patient probably a better vision. The patient, operated under general anesthesia, had no complications. The operation lasts about 2 hours, which for ophthalmology is a lot, if you think that a cataract operation takes 20 minutes, and after 24 hours “the patient” already saw the light “. At the basis of the operation carried out at Gemelli” there is an international experimental protocol “, remarked the specialist who points out:” We do not know what kind of benefits patients will have in the future, but it is certain that the premises are extraordinary. This is a technology that is the result of collaboration with an Israeli company, which produces the actual electronic retina, and a German eyewear and microscope manufacturer, which produces electronic eyeglasses. The system wirelessly receives power from the glasses placed on the patient’s face “. The enthusiasm for the prospects that this type of retinal prosthesis opens is high.” We hope that the patient can recover a complete visual autonomy, in this moment must be accompanied, however – Rizzo reiterates – But with this protocol we want to verify safety. For the definitive results we have to wait a couple of months “. A fundamental point will be the post-surgery rehabilitation, because” the patient will have to learn to see differently. This type of technology allows an electronic and unnatural vision: ‘pixelated’ images in black and white, or in grayscale “.