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My son was diagnosed with Stargardt's at the age of 10 and rod-cone dystrophy at the age of 22. Could the telescopic implant or a bone marrow stem cell transplant help him?
The telescopic implant is still under investigation. Early studies show that it can potentially improve visual acuity in patients with macular degeneration. Basically, it is a specially designed lens that is implanted behind the iris of the eye and helps to magnify images for central vision. The manufacturers believe that it may be beneficial to patients with other types of macular diseases as well, but it is not widely used at this time. Stem cell transplantation for degenerative retinal diseases is a relatively new therapeutic strategy and is still in an early stage of development. As of now, it is not offered in standard clinical practice, and more studies need to be performed before its benefit is proven.
Posted 10 Sep 2009
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