Man says he feels ‘so lucky’ to have sight back after stem cell treatment

An 86-year-old man who received groundbreaking stem cell treatment for macular degeneration says he feels “so lucky” to have his sight back.

Douglas Waters, 86, and a woman in her early 60s who has chosen not to be named, took part in a clinical study using genetically engineered tissue implanted into the eye.

Age-related macular degeneration is the most common form of sight loss in the UK and leads to rapid loss of central vision.

Both patients successfully regained their reading vision 0 Douglas Waters was treated for macular degeneration from barely being able to read at all.

Mr Waters, from Croydon, south London, said: “In the months before the operation my sight was really poor and I couldn’t see anything out of my right eye.

“Iwasstrugglingtoseethings clearly, even when up-close. After the surgery my eyesight improved to the point where I can now read the newspaper and help my wife out with the gardening.

“It’s brilliant what the team have done and I feel so lucky to have been given my sight back.”

It is the first time an engineered piece of tissue has been successfully used to treat people with sudden severe sight loss. The study into AMD is a major milestone and researchers believe it could lead to an “off-the-shelf ” treatment within five years.