TORINO (ITALPRESS) – World Health Care Primacy in Turin. For the first time in the history of medicine, the team of the University Ophthalmic Clinic of the Molinette Hospital, led by Professor Michele Reibaldi, has successfully performed a complete autotransplantation of the front segment of the eye and the central part of the retina (the macula) from one eye to another of the same patient. The exceptional operation allowed Mrs Elena, 67, to recover the view after more than 5 years of total blindness. The patient had completely lost his visual ability due to a very serious road accident. The clash had caused an irreversible injury to the optic nerve of the left eye, extinguishing the view for the impossibility of transmitting light from the eye to the brain, but leaving the eye structures healthy. On the contrary, the right eye, already suffering from maculopathy, had suffered traumas such as to compromise irremediably the retina and the transparency of the cornea. The total destruction of the portion containing stem cells made a normal cornea transplant impossible for years, condemning the woman to blindness.
The obstacle, considered to be insurmountable internationally, has been overcome thanks to an intuition of Professor Reibaldi. Taking advantage of the healthy but no longer functioning tissues of the left eye, doctors took and transferred into the right eye an entire anatomical block comprising the cornea, the sclera, the conjunctiva and, for the first time in the world, the central portion of the retina (the macula). This biological “translocus” allowed to reconstruct a blind eye from the two compromised eyes. Mrs. Elena arrived in the department accompanied by her inseparable dog Joe, a dog for blind people who represents her true partner of life. Recognizing the importance of this connection, the management of the Molinette hospital showed great sensitivity, authorizing the dog’s shelter along with the lady for the duration of stay in the hospital. Ms. Elena is responding very well to the intervention: clinical checks confirm the success of the attention of the transferred tissues and the progressive functional recovery of the eye, which hopefully can return to the lady the daily autonomy supported by faithful Joe today.
SCHILLACI “A TORINO RISULTATO IMPORTANTE CHE CONFERMA ECCELLENZA ITALIA”
The intervention of self-transplant performed for the first time in the world at the Molinette Hospital of the City of Health and Science of Turin “represents a confirmation of the excellence of Italian public health“. The Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, says this: “I wish to congratulate Professor Michele Reibaldi and with all the team for this important result and wish my best wishes to the patient. Once again the capacity of our National Health Service has been shown to be at the forefront and close to people.”.
– photo press office Ospedale Molinette di Torino –
(ITALPRESS).
