Changing Times A recipient ’ s decades-long journey to sight
John Ruggiero has seen a lot in 71 years . But something he never imagined seeing was the day when his sight would be restored in just a matter of hours .
John lived with vision problems since he was a teenager , but it wasn ’ t until his 20s that he realized how bad his eyesight had become .
“ I was enlisting in the Reserve Officers ' Training Corps ( ROTC ) program , and during my physical the doctor said with eyesight like mine I ’ d be dead in six months ,” John recalled .
John was diagnosed with keratoconus , a progressive eye disease that causes the cornea to thin and become cone-shaped , resulting in distorted vision .
In 1969 treatments for keratoconus were limited , but a relatively new operation – a cornea transplant – offered some hope for restoring John ’ s sight .
John was placed on a waiting list and , after several months , received a transplant .
The recovery was long and arduous . He spent 25 hours under anesthesia , followed by 11 days in the hospital laying flat on his back , motionless with his eyes closed . Then came two weeks at home before he could finally return to work .
While the surgery was considered a success , the results were fair at best , John said , leaving him with 20 / 100 vision . But he took it all in stride .
“ You have to pick yourself up , dust yourself off and move on . Live life like anyone else ,” John said . And he did just that – starting a family , raising three children and building a successful career .
But the degenerative nature of keratoconus brought John a lifetime of treatments to improve his vision including numerous eye-glass and contact lens prescriptions , refractive and cataract surgeries , and many more transplants .
The most recent transplant truly opened John ’ s eyes to a new world .
In January of last year , he scheduled his sixth cornea transplant . This latest experience was far different than the first : John arrived at the surgical center at 10 in the morning and was back home by 1:30 that afternoon . Even more astounding is that John now has nearly perfect 20 / 20 vision .
“ If someone had told me after my first transplant experience that one day I ’ d be home just hours after surgery , I would have never believed them ,” John said . “ I have better vision now at 71 than I did when I was 30 !”
1990s 2000s 2010s
Looking to the Future
Surgeons and researchers begin to develop new transplant and tissue preparation techniques that offer vastly improved outcomes for more patients . In 1997 , the FDA begins regulating tissue banks to reduce transmission of communicable diseases and ensure tissue safety . The cornea transplant waiting list is virtually eliminated by the growing support for eye donation .
Specialized transplant procedures using only a portion of the cornea are refined and introduced into clinical practice launching the modern era of transplantation . The techniques significantly improve the recovery and transplant process , and outcomes for many patients . In 2006 , Eversight begins offering tissue preparation services to meet the growing demand for these new procedures .
Eversight expands fullservice tissue processing for new treatment options . In partnership with experienced transplant surgeons , Eversight launches a training program to teach the next group of surgeons the latest transplant techniques for their patients .
Eversight partners with surgeons and researchers to find new ways to treat corneal blindness through improved transplant techniques , cell therapies , bionic technologies and more .
Spring 2016 | VISION | Page 9