Surgery offers hope of sight

Page 11

A northern Saskatchewan Dene man has been chosen as the first Canadian patient to undergo a unique surgical procedure: having microchips implanted in his eyes.

Bob Piche, a 29-year-old man who has been legally blind since he was 17, is set to travel to Los Angeles, Calif. in mid-January for the surgery, which will involve the installation of a permanent "retinal prosthesis" in his left eye. The tiny prosthesis, measuring 4 mm by 5 mm and studded with 16 electrodes, will be placed on Piche's retina. When activated, the implant will serve as a conduit to let in more light and hopefully improve Piche's vision.

The surgery is part of a groundbreaking clinical trial funded by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has bent its rules in order to allow Piche, as a non-U.S. citizen, to receive the implant.

Although Piche has been approved for the surgery, further testing will be done once he arrives in Los Angeles. Those tests -nd the actual surgery-will be led by Dr. Mark Humayun, a professor of opthamology at the University of Southern California and also the principal investigator on the FDA-approved trial. Humayun and his colleague, Dr. Eugene de Juan Jr., developed the concept for the retinal prosthesis, which was manufactured by a California-based company called Second Sight.

Piche, who works as a band councillor with the Clearwater River Dene Nation, first heard about the experimental surgery approximately two years ago. That fateful morning, someone happened to mention a bit of news they'd seen on TV, and it piqued Piche's curiosity. After two-and-a-half hours of phone calls across Canada and into the United States, Piche had tracked down Humayun and de Juan, then working at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. and received instructions to have his doctor fax information about his eye condition.

After the researchers had determined that Piche's condition would meet their criteria, he was tested and eventually booked to have the surgery last September. However, before he was to go, Piche suffered a stroke. Then, on Dec. 12, his local doctor determined that he was well enough to go ahead with the surgery.

Piche's condition, retinitis pigmentosa, has been with him since birth, but his eyesight deteriorated very slowly. He can still perceive colors and the difference between light and dark, but he is incapable of recognizing faces or objects.

Since this is a clinical trial, the FDA is covering the cost of the actual procedure, but it has been up to Piche to raise all the other money required, such as for airfare and accommodation. He hasn't had to ask for anything from family and friends, though -they have been asking him what they can do to do help.

"I'm set. I'm ready," he said when asked if he's nervous abut the impending surgery. "I'm visually impaired, it's getting worse, so what do I have to lose?"

There are still plenty of questions in his mind, including whether his use of the device will be limited to certain times or conditions. The first such surgery was done last February, and a statement released by the researchers noted that in early tests, the device would only be turned on in the clinic, under medical supervision.

Piche doesn't know yet what will happen after his surgery, but he does know what he's eager to see-his girlfriend Dawn Cheechum, friends he's met in recent years, and his nieces and nephews, whom he knows well yet has never seen. He'd also like to see what the North looks like once again, and he's eager to read books again too.

"Whatever's out there," he said, "I'll check it out."