Stargardt’s breakthrough

A 67-year-old woman from Florence has become the first Stargardt’s patient in the world to be treated with epiretinal prosthesis Argus II at the Careggi Hospital in Florence.

The Argus II epiretinal implant, designed, developed and marketed by Second Sight Medical Products, has already been implanted in more than 190 patients worldwide, and was the only system that improves the visual condition of patients with retinitis pigmentosa, said the company.

After surgery performed by Professor Stanislao Rizzo and his surgical team, the implant can now be used for Stargardt’s disease. ‘This lady has a very advanced stage of the disease, and a total absence of peripheral and central visual fields,’ said Prof Rizzo.