Français
Español
English
Portuguese
Regular injections of clear hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel over a 10-month period restored sight by reforming the shape of the eyeballs.
By Dinah Bucholz, Jewish Breaking News
He may not be the promised messiah, but a Jewish doctor has at least partly fulfilled Isaiah’s messianic prophecy, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened,” with his discovery of the cure for ocular hypotony, a hitherto incurable form of permanent blindness in which the eyeballs collapse upon themselves.
When Harry Petrushkin, an ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, England, who treats children and adults with inflammatory eye conditions, met Nicky Guy, she was already blind in one eye.
After cataract surgery in that eye, it caved in. Her doctors had prescribed eye drops that were ineffective, and Petrushkin said he spent the next two years trying to prevent a recurrence in her second eye.
But a cataract surgery in the second eye yielded the same result: blindness.
Petrushkin refused to accept that result for the 47-year-old mother, whose eye problems began after the birth of her son.
“At that point we were in a situation where we either put a clear silicone-based oil inside the eye, which is the best standard care that we have, or we try something different,” Petrushkin said.
“And I was just at a point in my career, and she was the right patient, and I was surrounded by supportive people in the organization to try something different.”
Regular injections into Guy’s eyeballs of clear hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) gel over a 10-month period restored her sight by reforming the shape of her eyeballs.
“I was amazed that she did so well,” said Petrushkin. “It’s a fantastic result. More than I ever could have hoped for.” The hoped-for result, he said, was “beyond my wildest dreams.”
So far, seven of eight patients have successfully undergone the procedure.
Jewish doctors have discovered cures for other forms of blindness. Patients with corneal blindness, one of the more common forms of blindness, must endure long wait times for corneal implants, and sometimes, the surgery fails. Two solutions are now on offer.
CorNeat Vision, an Israeli startup, developed an artificial cornea, which bypasses the wait for donor tissue and prevents disease that can result from organ transplantation.
A 78-year-old man who had suffered blindness 10 years ago recognized his family and was able to read upon the removal of the bandages covering his eyes after surgery.
In addition, the Israeli biotech firm Precise Bio cultured corneal cells in a lab and printed them using 3D printers.
These corneas, which contain human cells and biological materials, do not contain the type of contaminants that synthetic or traditional donor corneas carry.
The first-ever surgery was performed on a woman in her seventies at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. The implant has restored partial vision, which is expected to improve.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!
