New York Eye Surgeon Restores Vision with Iris Implant
Co-inventor of the custom iris implant has performed the rare surgery to restore the vision of New Haven teen.

NEW YORK, NY, February 18, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A young man born without irises--the colored portion of the eye--is seeing clearer today as a result of a vision-restoring surgery performed at the New York Ear and Eye Infirmary last month. A custom-made artificial iris allows the patient to see more normally. The procedure was performed by the co-inventor of the iris implant, Dr. Kenneth J. Rosenthal, who also performed the world's first such procedure in 1996. The procedure was an immediate success, with the patient's vision being transformed from legal blindness to being able to drive without glasses.

The iris not only gives the eye color, it performs a crucial role in vision by controlling the amount of light that enters the eye. About one in 50,000 people is born without irises, a condition known as aniridia. Aniridia leads to legal blindness.

The iris implants are custom-made and painted to look like natural irises. They are not currently approved by the FDA, but are available under a "compassionate use device exemption," which allows un-approved devices to be used for rare conditions when no other treatment option exists. The implant is approved for use in Europe, and Dr. Rosenthal hopes to begin enrolling doctors and patients for a clinical trial that may lead to FDA approval. "Many people could have their vision restored by this device," says Dr. Rosenthal. "I think we should work to make it more available."

The implant surgery is performed in two stages. This patient will have surgery to replace the iris in his other eye at the end of March.

To learn more about how the eye works and how eye diseases are treated, please visit www.eyes.com today.

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