Over the years, we have been conducting research in retinal transplantation of patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. It is our hope that we will preserve or help regain sight.
It is very important to remember that this study is in the research phase, and we cannot make any guarantee of any kind to the participant.
Retinal Transplantation
Intact sheets of immature retina implanted in the subretinal space of retinitis pigmentosa patients and patients with dry age-related macular degeneration is a therapy that is experimental is being conducted by Dr. Radtke at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky…
Latest Transplantation Results
A Retinitis Pigmentosa patient has improved from hand motion to 20/160 with ETDRS vision testing at the 7 year follow-up. The patient’s subjective improvement is that she was able to move around in a strange environment as her husband was in the hospital for three weeks. She saw things he needed and brought them to him. She traveled to the nurse’s station in a foreign environment which she could not do before. Now she can go to church and move around freely without someone guiding her. In a restaurant she can move freely or in a grocery store which she could not do before. She looks at ingredients at the grocery store which she could not do before. A magnifying glass can help her with small print…
Outside Clinical Trial Updates
Download the latest Outside Clinical Trial Update…
Protocols and Consent Forms
Previous Study Protocols
- Safety Study in Retinal Transplantation for Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (214K PDF)
- Safety Study in Retinal Transplantation for Retinitis Pigmentosa (208K PDF)
Previous Consent Forms
Interview
Elizabeth Bryant received an experimental retinal transplant performed by Dr. Norman Radtke. She has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which has rendered Ms. Bryant virtually blind and has afflicted several of her family members, including her daughter. Her preoperative visual acuity was 20/800. At her last examination, she was able to see the 20/260 line.
Ms. Bryant was gracious enough to share a little of her transplant experience with us.
What prompted you to volunteer for an experimental retinal transplantation?
Ms. Bryant: “I was losing my eyesight and wanted so badly to see in order to be independent and to function. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose. I have a daughter with the same eye disease and two brothers and one sister with it. My mother also was totally blind with it. If there was anything I could do to help my family, I wanted to do it.”
What are you seeing now that you weren’t able to see before?
“At seven years after surgery I can see much better in my left operated eye than the right unoperated eye. I can see the TV better now. I can see a little better downward than I was seeing before and see clearer out of the side vision. I do not see the cloudy haze anymore. I am looking forward to seeing even more.”
What activities are you able to do now that you could not before?
“I am able to do my work a little better than before. I am able to do some sewing now that I wasn’t able to do before. It depends on the lighting, but sometimes I can thread a needle. I hadn’t been able to do that. I am getting to be able to write checks to pay my bills.”
Was the transplant a positive experience?
“Yes. It was worth a little bit of trouble. I am willing to do it again if I lose the sight in my right eye.”
Does Dr. Radtke make you feel comfortable?
“Yes. I feel very comfortable with him, and I feel like I can ask him anything.”
What would you tell a potential retinal transplant candidate?
“It is all worth it. I will tell them everything. It is not short term; it is long and drawn out. Just remember it is experimental. Don’t get your hopes up. I am not sorry I had it done. If I had it to do over, I would do it again. It’s given me a lot of hope. My family feels the same way I do. They have stood behind me.”
Anything else you would like to share about your retinal transplant experience?
“Even if I don’t get any better, I am able to function and I have some independence. It terrifies me to lose my eyesight. That’s why I wanted to try it and be independent. I wanted to regain some of my eyesight and be independent. I feel like I am going to be blessed with it. I really do.”
Donations
If you would like to make a tax-deductable donation to our retinal transplant research fund, please contact us.
Potential Clinical Trials
We are currently screening possible candidates for potential clinical trials. If you are interested in being placed in our database for future contact regarding potential clinical trials, please contact us.