Macular Degeneration
Posted by Adrienne A Hicks on August 20, 1998 at 13:48:33:
Anyone with information on new procedure on moving the Retina away from the degenerative area please post to the bulletin board. Thanks.
Posted by Dan on August 23, 1998 at 11:52:28: In Reply to: Macular Degeneration posted by Adrienne A Hicks on August 20, 1998 at 13:48:33:
Dear Adrienne,
This is a procedure which has had some success. It is called retinal translocation, but--of course--it is only successful if there is enough undamaged cell area, and it only lasts as long as that cell area remains healthy. If I remember correctly, the operation has been done at Johns Hopkins and at Washington University in St. Louis, among other locations. Sorry I don't know more,
but perhaps this will get you started in the right direction.
Posted by chris on August 26, 1998 at 20:42:38: In Reply to: Macular Degeneration posted by Adrienne A Hicks on August 20, 1998 at 13:48:33:
I have also heard of the procedure at John Hopkins University where they actually detach your retina and move it so your vision focuses on a "clean" part of the retina. Dr. Matt Thomas at the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis told me about this procedure. I went to him in May to help save my vision because of macular degeneration at 28. I ended up losing my center of vision in one eye but thankfully I still have my peripheral vision and 20/20 in the other eye with contacts. I look forward to the postings your inquiry will generate. I will also inquire with my local retinal doctor and Dr. Thomas the next time I travel to St. Louis.
Good Luck,
CB
Procedure Called Macular Translocation
Posted by John B. Clementi on October 08, 1998 at 15:37:26:
Anyone:
A recent article on AMD in the Oct 98 issue of "Bottom Line" refers to a Dr. Eugene de Juan @ Johns Hopkins Hospital who has developed a procedure called Macular Translocation to restore sight to people who have the wet form of MD. Is there anyone who has heard or has information on this procedure? I can't find the Prof. name on the internet.
Posted by Dan Roberts on October 09, 1998 at 16:22:28: In Reply to: Proced. Called Macular Translocation posted by John B. Clementi on October 08, 1998 at 15:37:26:
John,
Macular translocation is a surgical treatment wherein the entire retina is rotated, moving the foveal region away from the diseased underlying choroid and RPE cells. The choroidal neovascular membranes (CNVMs) can then be photocoagulated to prevent progression to the new foveal location, thus restoring central vision.
This procedure has been performed only in a few pilot studies, and it involves very significant and severe risks until greater refinement has been developed.
Other experimental therapy treatments include PHOTODYNAMIC, PHARMACOLOGIC, RADIATION, and other
SURGICAL techniques such as sub-macular surgery. You will want to look into all of them, and perhaps volunteer as a participant--realizing, of course--that they are all still in the experimental stages, and that no promises are being made at this time.
The MD Support web site can get you started on learning more about therapies for MD.
Posted by Judi on February 03, 1999 at 20:00:12:
The report was on Dr. Eugene DeJuan, a well-respected researcher at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His research is in two areas. One is retinal translocation, where the retina is detached and shifted to move the damaged cells away from the macular region. The other is an "artificial retina" (not really the best term for it) - an implant that gathers light and sends the information to the brain, much like your retinal cells do. For more information, you can look at www.pslgroup.com/dg/7dea6.htm for a news release about translocation. For the artificial retina project, go to www.ede.ncsu.edu/erl/erl_eye.htm. Both of these are extremely experimental.
Macular Degeneration-New surgery?
Posted by Kenneth White on December 05, 1998 at 14:24:21:
My wife heard a Dr. Dean Edell program in which he said a new surgery may help restore vision to an eye which has lost its central vision. Basically the Dr moves the retina to one side to provide a better place for the central vision to focus. Has anyone heard this and if so what web site address can I use to get the info from Dr. Dean Edell. He said he was on the web.
Posted by Terri Foxman on December 07, 1998 at 15:22:08: In Reply to: Macular Degeneration-New surgery? posted by Kenneth White on December 05, 1998 at 14:24:21:
New Surgical Technique Helps Blind Man See Again
3.51 p.m. ET (2052 GMT) December 4, 1998
LONDON - A new surgical technique has been used to restore the
sight of a man suffering from the commonest cause of blindess in the
elderly.
David Wong, an eye surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital
in northwest England, said the surgery which repositions the damaged
part of the retina could help thousands of people.
"Put simply, it is like moving a carpet which has a worn patch in it and
tucking the worn part away," Wong explained in a statement.
"What we have demonstrated is that there is spare capacity for vision in the eye. When one part is worn out, another part can be made to take over the work," he added.
Millions of people around the world suffer from macular degeneration in which new blood vessels grow near the macula of the eye causing a gradual loss of vision and eventual blindness.
Up until now, laser therapy has been the most effective treatment for the condition. It limits the damage but it cannot improve sight.
During the two-hour operation, Wong and his colleagues transferred vision from the worn part of the retina of 70-year-old John Barr to a healthier area so he could see again.
Barr, of Pickering in northern England, couldn't read before the operation. Three days after the surgery, he was reading small print and is hoping to be able to drive again soon.
Wong described the technique as "the single most important surgical development for many years."
Although the surgery is still at the developmental stage and doctors in the United States and Germany are also trying to perfect the technique, Wong said he is encouraged by his results so far.
"This is a once in a lifetime experience for a surgeon where you take little steps and then suddenly make a giant leap. It is the sort of thing every surgeon dreams of because it may transform the lives of so many people. Macular degeneration affects so many people and is so
devastating,'' said Wong.
Early signs of the disorder are a sudden loss of vision, distortions of straight lines or a dark patch in one eye.
Doctors have advised elderly people to eat more corn, eggs, orange peppers, red grapes and pumpkins which are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, chemical compounds called antioxidant carotenoids, that can help prevent macular degeneration.
Earlier this year, U.S. researchers said they were close to finding a gene that could be responsible for the condition.
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