An 89 year old woman who received a pioneering pea-sized telescope implant has spoken of her joy at being able to read for the first time in seven years.
Surgeons at UC Davis Medical Center successfully implanted a tiny telescope implant in the eye of Dorothy Bane in May.
She has suffered from end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness.
I can see better than ever now,' she said.
'Colors are more vibrant, beautiful and natural, and I can read large print with my glasses.
Bane, who was a watercolour artist, said she hopes the implant will let her pick up a paintbrush again.
'I haven't been able to read for the past seven years, and I look forward to being able to paint again.'
The implant is able to focus images on the undamaged areas of the retina.
The groundbreaking operation could lead to the procedure becoming commonplace.
'Macular degeneration damages the retina and causes a blind spot in a person's central field of vision,' said Mark Mannis, professor and chair of ophthalmology and vision sciences and director of the Eye Center at UC Davis Health System.
'The telescopic implant restores vision by projecting images onto an undamaged portion of the retina, which makes it possible for patients to again see people's faces and the details of objects located directly in front of them.'
The exact cause of dry macular degeneration is unknown, but the condition develops as the eye ages.
Culled from MAILONLINE
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