Medical Breakthrough: Corneal Neurotization helping patients restore eyesight
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Up to 10,000 people a year lose their ability to blink, and that can cause loss of eyesight.
Most people blink 17 times a minute, over a thousand blinks every hour. That adds up to 15,000 blinks a day, but in some cases people can lose their ability to blink.
"NK stands for Neurotrophic Keratopathy, or Neurotrophic Keratitis, and it describes a condition in which the nerves that provide sensation to the surface of the eye, and specifically the cornea, are damaged in some way and not working properly," Ophthalmologist and Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon Daniel Rubinstein said.
NK often happens after an infection or trauma to the head or neck.
Brain and skull base tumors are also common causes of NK. Failing to blink can damage the cornea, causing cloudy and blurry vision.
Typical treatment includes eye drops and surgery to permanently close a portion of the eye to protect it.
"All of those are supportive and none of them really get at the underlying problem, which is the nerve damage itself," Rubinstein said.
Now a team of surgeons at University of North Carolina hospitals are performing corneal neurotization.
During the surgery, healthy nerve is taken from the lower leg and used to reconnect the healthy nerve just beneath the eyebrow to the damaged cornea.
"Those nerves actually grow back into the damaged cornea and replace the nerves that are no longer functioning," Rubinstein said.
In some cases, even restoring lost vision.
It takes patients up to six months to notice improved vision and sensation. The healing process is slow, but can be life changing.
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