Two patients regain sight following retinal implants

A team at King’s College Hospital, led by eye surgeon Tim Jackson, carried out retinal implant surgery on a patient last month, in tandem with Prof Robert MacLaren at the Oxford Eye Hospital.

Kings and the Oxford Eye Hospital are two centres taking part in a UK trial of a retinal implant for patients with the degenerative eye condition retinitis pigmentosa.

Both patients — who had no vision prior to surgery — are said to be doing well.

In a statement, Kings said they were able to detect light immediately after the retinal implant microchip was activated. Further testing has shown that both patients are able to locate white objects on a dark background. Over the coming months, the patients will undergo further testing as they adjust to the microchip.

The UK trial of the device is set to include 12 patients in total and is being led by the two centres.

Jackson and MacLaren said: ‘We are excited to be involved in this pioneering subretinal implant technology and to announce that the first patients implanted in the UK were successful. The visual results of these patients exceeded our expectations.