Magnets implanted in patient's eye sockets to treat nystagmus

First description of successful use of implant that controls eye movement

Colin Kerr

Published: Monday, June 26, 2017

Image from www.moorfields.nhs.uk A research team at Moorfields Hospital in the UK has successfully used magnets implanted behind a person’s eyes to treat nystagmus. Professor Geoff Rose and Mr David Verity, consultant ophthalmologists at Moorfields, in collaboration with UCL and University of Oxford research teams, led the study which is the first description of a successful use of an implant that controls eye movement. The patient who underwent the procedure developed nystagmus in his late 40s due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His difficulties prompted the research team to investigate the use of a prosthesis which had previously only been described theoretically. The research team developed a prosthesis involving one magnet which is implanted on the bone at the bottom of the eye socket, interacting with a smaller magnet attached to one of the eye muscles which control its movement. The research team is currently recruiting for a larger study, led by Professor Rose, and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). http://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/news/magnetic-implants-used-treat-dancing-eyes