Treatment of Nystagmus with Transplantation of One’s Own Stem Cells

Nystagmus is one of the diseases that negatively affects the quality of life. The disease manifests itself in the uncontrolled twitching of the eyeball. To improve the quality of life and restore normal vision, we invite you to the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre’s Eye Clinic, where qualified doctors treat nystagmus with an innovative method, namely stem cell transplantation.

Treatment of nystagmus by cell transplantation can be carried out by four methods: injection into the orbit, eye, vein, and spinal canal. The high professionalism of the medical staff and the modern equipment of the operating room guarantee the quality and safety of the procedure.

Treatment consists of taking the patient’s bone marrow, isolating stem cells, and injecting them intravitreally, retrobulbarly, intrathecally, and intravenously.

The effectiveness of treatment is determined by the following indicators: the disappearance or reduction of nystagmus.

Performing the procedure

In the 2-3 days before transplantation, the patient undergoes the following consultations, examinations, and preoperative tests:

• Ophthalmologist’s consultation
• Neurologist’s consultation
• Anesthesiologist’s consultation
• Blood test (full blood count, coagulogram, immunophenotyping of lymphocytes, determination of blood group and Rh, serological screening for viruses, liver and kidney function)
• OCT (optical coherence tomography)
• Gonioscopy
• Electrophysiological examination of the eye and optic nerve
• Computerized perimetry (with a minimum of 10% vision)
• Laser iridotomy (when the angle of the anterior chamber of the eyeball is narrow or closed)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A bone marrow collection and transplantation procedure will be performed after all examinations (the patient should not eat or drink for 5 or more hours before the procedure).

Procedure protocol

The first stage is the bone marrow collection.

The bone marrow is taken from the anterior and posterior tubercles of the patient’s ilium by aspiration. This procedure is quite painful, and it will be performed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia is administered by intravenous injection (Propofol) and inhalation (Sevoran). The amount of bone marrow sampling is determined by the age and weight of the patient (from 80 ml to 130 ml). This procedure lasts 15–30 minutes.

The laboratory performs stem cell isolation by centrifugation in a density gradient (Ficoll method).

This process takes 1.5–2 hours.

The resulting stem cells are suspended in saline.

During bone marrow processing, the patient is monitored in the intensive care unit.

The second stage is stem cell transplantation into the patient.

When transplant suspension is ready, stem cell transplantation begins after the patient is transferred to the operating room.

Usually the obtained suspension of the stem cells is injected intravitreally – into the eye with the several injections, retrobulbarly – into the orbit and intrathecally – into the spinal canal. The process of introducing of stem cells is performed under local anesthesia.

After transplantation, the patient stays in a separate ward. The patient can leave the clinic after monitoring for 2–3 hours and receiving final consultation and recommendations.

Treatment of nystagmus

Classical therapy for nystagmus

Nystagmus develops for a variety of reasons, and it is necessary to figure them out before developing a therapeutic protocol.

The main factors contributing to the development of nystagmus are:

• Bad habits
• Low vision
• Genetic predisposition
• Injuries of the cranium
• Infectious diseases of the ears and eyes
• Chronic stress conditions

Basic and auxiliary methods of treatment:

• Surgery — blocking of oscillatory eye movements. The effectiveness of the intervention can be partial or complete. A forced, incorrect position of the head is the most common cause of nystagmus, and the task of the surgeon is to return the head to its previous position.
• Selection of contact lenses and glasses for vision correction
• Therapy of pathologies that led to the development of nystagmus
• Use of anti-inflammatory and vasodilator drugs
• Injections of A-botulinum toxin
• Use of high-grade vitamin complexes
• Correction of muscle balance to give the face a normal appearance

The result of traditional methods

In the vast majority of cases, this pathology cannot be treated completely. If the surgical intervention is not always successful, auxiliary techniques also rarely help to cope with the symptoms. Most often, an effect is only temporary. Therefore, the patient should pay attention to newer therapeutic methods.

Sign up for treatment at the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre to undergo an effective therapy that will help solve your ophthalmological problems.

Treatment of nystagmus with stem cells

This procedure is performed according to the technology described above. It fundamentally differs from previous methods because it activates the body’s own regenerative potential. In the treatment of nystagmus, stem cells act as both a surgeon’s scalpel and therapeutic drugs: they eliminate damage in the eyeball and nerve fibres by eliminating damaged cells and replacing them with healthy, full-fledged analogues.

Advantages of stem cell treatment for nystagmus:

• High chance of achieving the desired therapeutic effect
• Stem cell correction is the most natural and effective way to restore vision and rid the eye of twitching.
• Cell transplantation does not require incisions or any surgical intervention; therefore, it has no risks that are associated with surgery.
• The treatment process takes only a few days, and the result becomes obvious in a few weeks.

Today, the method of stem cell transplantation is the most recommended by doctors and the most promising. Many patients who underwent it were convinced of its effectiveness, stability, and endurance.

Advantages of the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre:

• Use of advanced methods of cellular correction
• Safe, minimally invasive vision correction without side effects
• Professional, experienced doctors
• Attentiveness to the patient
• Various organisational assistance after arrival in an unknown country
• Favorable pricing policy; more loyal than in European clinics

Get in line for nystagmus stem cell treatment to get rid of the unpleasant tic forever and improve your visual acuity safely!