Visual Recovery Reported In Patient With Longstanding Retinal Detachment.

Visual Recovery Reported In Patient With Longstanding Retinal Detachment.
BBC News (6/17) reports, “A man in the US, who was blinded in one eye 55 years ago, has had his sight restored, according to the Journal of Medical Case Reports.” The man “was eight when his retina was detached after he was hit in the right eye with a stone.” However, at the age of 63, after undergoing treatment to reduce pressure and swelling within the eye, the man was able to see bright light again. This led doctors to attempt an operation to reattach the retina. Amazingly, following surgery, sight was restored. Physicians “believe it was successful because of the low ‘height’ of the retinal detachment.”
The UK’s Telegraph (6/17, Adams), “When a retina has been detached for so long, degenerative changes usually occur that make restoring sight impossible.” The author of the case report explained that the patient’s visual recovery after so long a time “has implications for restoring eyesight in other patients.”