Eyes wide open: Breakthrough blink restoration

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – It’s something we all do, and never even realize we are doing it: blinking. But up to 10,000 people a year lose their ability to blink, and that can cause serious problems, even causing people to go blind.

Now, a new technique is saving sight, even reversing vision loss.

Most people blink 17 times a minute – over a thousand blinks every hour. That adds up to 15,000 blinks a day, but some people can lose their ability to blink.

“N.K. 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,” explains Ophthalmologist & Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, N.C, Daniel Rubenstein, MD.

N.K. often happens after an infection or trauma to the head or neck. Brain and skull base tumors are also common causes of N.K. 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,” Rubenstein further explained.

Now, a team of surgeons at UNC hospitals are performing corneal neurotization. During the surgery, a healthy nerve is taken from the lower leg and used to re-connect 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,” Rubenstein said.

It takes patients up to six months to notice improved vision and sensation. The healing process is slow but can be life-changing.

Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Matt Goldschmidt, Videographer & Editor.

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