A Manchester United fan has got his sight back for the first time in 10 years after receiving a state-of-the-art “bionic eye” and can’t wait for the new Premier League season.
Ray Flynn, 80, from Audenshaw, Manchester, has AMD – advanced dry age related macular degeneration – and is the first patient with AMD in the world to undergo such a procedure.
The retired engineer is also believed to be the first human being to benefit from natural and artificial sight at the same time.
Losing his sight affected the quality of his life as it deteriorated – as a keen cook he was forced to read recipes with a magnifying glass but now he can cast the instrument aside.
He said: “Before when I was looking at a plant in the garden it was like a honeycomb in the centre of my eye. That has now disappeared. I can now walk round the garden and see things.
“It’s definitely improved my vision but I haven’t been out and about on a bus yet. I don’t think I will for a little while.”
AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in the developed world with between 20 and 25 million sufferers worldwide.
The pensioner received an Argus II retinal implant at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital last month. More than 130 patients have received a bionic eye but Ray is the first person with peripheral vision to receive one.
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