detached retina

i have had 4 surgerys in the past 2 1/2 years for my retina detatchment, and now have almost no vision in my eye except for like shadows... i was talking to a friend and she told me about someone she knows that has a fake eye that you can actually see out of except for color and has a hard time with some distance... Can this fake eye still work for me as well or is there anyway possible i can have an eye donor and have eye replacement for my bad eye???

[Houman Vosoghi, MD]

No.  Although there is hope for the future, the research is in its infancy and will be many years before any treatments are available.  I'm sure your friend was mistaken or confused about something someone else told her.

HV

[pinkaholic8387]

ok thank you very much!

[sb001]

Dr Vosoghi,

Could you please comment further on the research you alluded to above?  Thank you very much!

[Houman Vosoghi, MD]

Really not worth discussing yet but the research I have read about in the recent past have involved electrode implants under the retina of the eye for those who have a healthy nerve and eye other than retinal damage that can send electrical signals through the nerve to the brain which then gets translated to some rough form of vision.  The other is for eyes that are not healthy and works with electrodes directly implanted in the brain and a camera that is mounted on a pair of sunglasses or such that transmits signals that stimulate the brain.  Neither has achieved better than shadows and shapes type of vision that I am aware of and are likely many years before they will be available as a viable solution for the legally blind.

HV