Innovative eye surgery may help sufferers from dry age-related macular degeneration

Innovative eye surgery that may help sufferers from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of poor eyesight and sometimes blindness in people over 55 in the UK is reported in the Daily Mail. The technique, known as IOL VIP - Intra-Ocular Lenses for Visually Impaired People - is at present only available privately, i.e. is not available on the NHS.

Eating spinach helps to prevent age-related macular degeneration. It can even repair some damage to the macula that has already occurred! - The nutrient involved is lutein. This nutrient is also contained in kiwifruits, leeks, peas, eggs, broccoli, etc. You can find them easily by using a search engine. Details are on this BBC webpage

Eye surgery involving tooth implant returns sight to blind builder

The Telegraph reports that Martin Jones, 42, a builder,who lost his sight in an accident 12 years ago, can now see again, thanks to complicated surgery by Brighton based surgeon Christopher Lui, the only consultant in the country capable of doing the operation. The extra joy of this life-changing surgery is that Mr Jones is now able to see his wife, whom he met and married while he was blind and so had not seen before.

Partial sight restored to one of Robert McNichol's eyes by pioneering surgery using one of his son's teeth...

Tooth transplanted into eye to restore sight

Extracts from the Telegraph:

"A man blinded in an industrial explosion has regained partial sight after his son's tooth was transplanted into one of his eyes in a groundbreaking operation.

Robert McNichol, 57, from Co Sligo on Ireland's west coast, suffered the injury during an accident at his waste recycling business two years ago.

Doctors at University College Hospital Galway told him there was nothing they could do but, refusing to be deterred, he found an expert in the UK performing pioneering surgery.

Known as 00KP, it treats severe cases of blindness by using a tooth to hold in place a man-made lens in the eye socket.

Mr McNichol's son Robert Jnr, 23, volunteered one of his teeth when he heard about the revolutionary procedure."

"The operation was carried out at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton over several months ending last December.

The tooth was removed, chiselled through and a lens placed in its core.

It was then inserted into Mr Nichol's right eye after a series of gruelling operations."

"While he cannot see fully, the father of eight hopes that with time his sight will gradually improve and he can do everyday activities.

"It's pretty extensive stuff and a pretty rocky science, but I'm just over the moon that I can see and get around without a cane.""

Impressive stuff!