Abstract
Purpose :
To analyze the acquired abilities by the only (worldwide known) Usher Syndrome (US) patient who underwent ARGUS II® retinal prosthesis implant after one year follow up compared to the patients affected with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) also implanted with the device in our center.
Methods :
We analyzed the results of rehabilitation in our three patients implanted with ARGUS II, two women (41 and 50 years old) diagnosed of Retinitis Pigmentosa, who were legally blind for more than 15 years, and a 51-years-old man diagnosed of Usher Syndrome, legally blind for 16 years. We analyzed general health condition, surgical time and perioperative complications, time to first device power on, light/shadow perception, high contrast shape identification, movement identification, high contrast letters, signs and general life achievements (standard questionnaries and methodology for all the patients), together with using time of the device including both rehabilitation-pauted time and free-will usage of the device.
Results :
Surgical time improved from 3:15 hours to 2:20 hours. We relate this time variability due to a logical surgeon's learning curve. No perioperative complications were observed and time to first device power on were the same (15 days) for all cases. After two months of ARGUS II® device usage both patients affected with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) showed a much faster progression on rehabilitation therapy and achievements. At the third month US patient showed an extraordinary improvement on the general life tasks and became much more independent for daily life compared to RP patients, being even capable to discriminate a broader contrast gamma. After one year follow-up results are persistent.
Because our study is about the only Usher Syndrome patient in the world with a fully functional ARGUS II® device implanted, we are not able to analyze statistical data.
Conclusions :
Although Usher Syndrome is not contemplated as an indication for ARGUS II® implant, mainly because of their learning and communicative impairment, the result observed with our patient should be encouraging to considerate US, and probably other similar conditions, also as retinal prosthesis implants suitable receptors.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.