Retinitis Pigmentosa is a rare hereditary disease that results in progressive vision loss.
About 15,000 people in Italy suffer from Retinitis Pigmentosa. The course of the disease varies from case to case, manifesting itself at different ages but with increasingly disabling effects on the patient's daily life.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)Â is a rare and hereditary disease that causes a progressive degeneration of the photo-sensitive cells of the retina, leading to significant visual impairment to the point of blindness. There are an estimated 1.5 million people worldwide who suffer from RP.
The incidence of RP is normally reported as 1 in 4,000Â Â and therefore corresponds to 14,958 people, based on the Italian population http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTLÂ
A surgical treatment currently being tested and developed involves the implantation of subretinal prostheses that can partially restore visual function.
The pictures show Mr Jereom Perk, who had become blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, underwent the Argus II prosthesis implant in 2013 and regained the ability to perform activities that had become impossible for him.
The Retinal Prosthesis SystemArgus® II
The Argus II System is the second generation of the retinal prosthesis developed by Second SightMedicalProducts, Inc.TheArgus I System was clinically tested in 2002. The System has been approved in Europe and the United States. It has already been implanted in more than 90 patients worldwide. Second Sight's Argus II System uses electrical stimulation to bypass the cells affected by the disease and stimulate the remaining, still active retinal cells, inducing visual perception in blind people. Argus II is the first retinal prosthesis to be approved in Europe (CE mark) and the USA. The system is funded in Germany, Italy and the USA. It is available at 13 centres of excellence in Europe.
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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