Woman’s ‘bionic eye’ helps her regain confidence
Judy Prociuk’s eyesight had deteriorated to a point last April that her ophthalmologist told her it couldn’t get any worse.
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) had taken its toll on her vision over the course of 40 years. She had normal vision into her late 20s, when she began to have night blindness. Now 73, she has a bit of light perception unassisted, which helps when she is indoors. She can tell if the lights are on or off.
Her ophthalmologist asked if she was interested in looking into the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis implant — the bionic eye — developed by California-based Second Sight. She went to Toronto twice, and met Dr. Robert Devenyi, who is the only doctor in Canada who performs the procedure. An assessment determined she was a candidate.
In January, she became the only Canadian outside Ontario to be implanted with the Argus II. Nine Canadians have so far received the surgery and a 10th is booked for later this month. It’s generally only been offered to Ontario patients because a lot of post-op followup and rehabilitation are required, Devenyi said.
By the end of February, Prociuk began to wear the special glasses, which have a mini-camera installed.
“What I’m really hoping for is it will help me to become more independent,” she said. “I’ll probably never, ever, kind of have to get rid of my white cane because I’ll still need it. But right now ... if I’m out walking and there’s something out on the sidewalk blocking my path, I would be able to see it.”
The camera relays the video image to a small computer she wears around her waist. The computer sends the image back to an antenna, connected to a microchip implanted on her retina. The retina is stimulated by electrodes and the image is sent via the optic nerve to the brain.
Currently, the device is for people who are unable to see light or see barely any light due to blindness caused by a degenerative disease, such as RP.
Devenyi said as the technology improves, nothing will need to be altered surgically. The camera and the computer, both outside the eye, can be replaced as the technology advances.
“Having the surgery now doesn’t prevent them from benefiting from the improvements in the future,” he said.
The Argus II is about $200,000 and the cost of the device and surgery has been paid for through donations, but Devenyi hopes provincial governments will begin to cover the devices. He’s in the process of applying to a Government of Ontario committee to get the province to pay for them. An answer may come later this month.
“Otherwise, it’s not a sustainable program if we expect donations to cover it forever,” he said.
“And I feel strongly in this civilized society, we have technology available for people like this, of course we have to provide it for them.”
Prociuk, a member of the Saskatoon Blind Skiers, is a tandem cyclist who rides during the MS Bike fundraiser in Waskesiu. She likes to walk on the Meewasin Trail, where she’s already noticed she can tell the difference between the grass and pavement.
A significant improvement is that she can see the shapes of people again, which she hadn’t been able to do for a long time.
“It may not seem (like) much for somebody with good eyesight, but for somebody who’s lost a lot for many, many years, it’s actually quite exciting,” she said.