Can Retinal Implants Help With Retinopathy of Prematurity?

November 4, 2010

My 15 yr old daughter has retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) from birth. I read with interest of retinal implants, this week in Germany a guy who has retinal pigmantosa being able to see, albeit shape outlines, a step in right direction. Is there any possibility for retinal implants being used to treat ROP in the future?

 

 



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8 Responses to “Can Retinal Implants Help With Retinopathy of Prematurity?”

  • ari

    nothing is available now. retinal implant technology is decades away from giving useful vision. sorry.

  • Rafy Dean

    I have a one year old son who was diagnosed with ROP at time of birth and lost vision completely in both eyes due to retina detachment despite the many procedures that were done to cure his case. I would like to know if such retina implant will be suitable for his case to give him along with many others a chance for hope and vision. Please share with us if anyone come cross some promising news to cure such case. Thanks.

  • Lou david

    Hi im from the Philippines I gave birth to a 7 month premature baby last October 19, 2011 after 3 months he has been diagnosed ROP 5 complete retinal detachment on left eye and regress ROP at the right eye, Dr said that he has chance to see but vision will be not clear..I have been spending so much days and nights searching for better options or treatments. We are scheduled to see another optal pedia specialist for more test on his regress eye and most likely my son will be needing a special eye glass for babies for him to start to see a little…I Have been reading about Stem cell in China and not decided if this is the one we need as it is very expensive + there is no guarantee if it will work. Today when I was browsing the net I came Into a study about retina Cell implants in London. That after injecting a cell coming from a 3 day old mice to a blind adult mice, after few minutes the eye reacted and seen some promising..I was wondering if any of you out there know anything about this?

    I have been thinking and sometimes makes me feel so down after thinking about STEVIE WONDER’S ROP that makes him became blind, if this famous person with all the money and success and have more chance to access to the new technology, wouldn’ t he supposed to have his ROP treated? If there’s really a treatment for this ROP 5.
    I pray to god everyday to give my son a miracle not to have his left eye works but to have his right regress eye works.. I don’t pray for both I pray for one eye that would change a lot. I will be thankful already!

    Good luck to all of us..

  • ari

    many, many years away….

  • Russel Obuyes

    I have a 6 year old daughter suffering from ROP. I have been praying all night, that one morning she’ll look into me and tell me how pretty or ugly I am. Anyway, this is because I have been searching about remedies or treatment for a totally blind child caused by ROP but most often I got frustrated. My daughter is very responsive, very happy however sometimes irritable. I just hope that Retinal Implant can make her see.. Please let me know. BTW, I am from the Philippines. God bless us all..

  • Josh

    For parents asking about treatment for retinopathy of prematurity, please see our recent post on how Avastin injections have proven more effective with fewer complications than laser treatment:

    http://eyedocnews.com/004891-is-a-single-intravitreal-injection-of-bevacizumab-more-effective-than-lasers-in-treating-retinopathy-of-prematurity/

  • ari

    i am sure retinal implants have a future in all retinal disease, but i have to be frank–it could be many years before it is available to the public and can afford reasonable vision.
    also, in a child with rop (retinopathy of prematurity), the visual part of the brain does not develop normally (amblyopia), and cannot be improved after the age of 9. so even if the child, 25 years from now, gets retinal implants, odds are high the vision still will be poor. but let us pray that technology moves quickly and can help these patients.

  • rk thakur

    thats great news. we hope something more substantial will come in future. i too have 4 months old baby suffering from stage 5 ROP (retinopathy of prematurity). if you get any encouraging news pls share with me.
    thanks n regards.