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Retina transplant in Turkey has become a leading option for patients suffering from vision loss caused by conditions like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. With advanced techniques such as stem cell transplantation, gene therapy, and retinal prosthesis implants, Turkish hospitals provide cutting-edge treatments that restore visual function and improve patients’ quality of life. The cost of retinal transplant surgery in Turkey is 50–70% lower than in Western countries, while maintaining high success rates thanks to skilled surgeons and internationally accredited clinics like Memorial Clinic and Güven Hospital. Supported by A-Medical, international patients receive complete assistance from travel and accommodation to post-operative care, ensuring a seamless and affordable treatment experience with some of the best ophthalmology specialists in the region.
What is retina transplantation?
The retina in the eye converts light into electrical signals sent to the brain. Damage from eye disease leads to vision loss. Retinal transplantation replaces damaged cells with healthy ones, restoring sight and improving life for patients.
Stem cell transplant is the top way to treat retinal diseases today. It's a new method, tested on a few patients. As more people try it, we'll get better results. Plus, there were no rejection issues with retinal transplant.
Who is this procedure for?
For those facing retinitis pigmentosa or advanced age-related macular degeneration, retinal transplantation offers hope. These degenerative eye conditions cause gradual vision loss and, eventually, blindness.
The situations in which retina transplantation is most commonly used are as follows:
- Individuals with severe retinal detachment or damage
- Genetic conditions affecting the retina
- Cases where the retina has been damaged due to injury or trauma
- Conditions affecting the optic nerve that may impact the retina
- Individuals for whom traditional treatments like laser therapy or medications have not been successful
Can retina be transplanted like cornea?
Yes. Transplanting the retina is similar to cornea transplantation, but the surgical methods vary. Unfortunately, there's confusion about the differences between these two procedures among many people. This lack of understanding needs some clarity.
Retinal transplant focuses on replacing damaged parts of the retina, which is crucial for vision. It is commonly performed for conditions like retinitis pigmentosa or advanced age-related macular degeneration, addressing issues related to progressive vision loss.
On the other hand, cornea transplant involves replacing a damaged or diseased cornea with a healthy donor cornea. This procedure is often done to improve vision affected by conditions such as corneal dystrophy or injury. While both surgeries aim to restore vision, they target different parts of the eye – the retina in the case of retinal transplant and the cornea in cornea transplant.
Different approaches to retinal transplant surgery in Turkey
Retinal transplant surgery is a new method, not widely known. However, Turkey shines as a leader, successfully performing these procedures.
In Turkey, different methods are used for retinal transplant surgery. A popular one involves replacing dead retina cells with stem cell transplants, promising improved vision.
Additionally, gene therapy or retinal prosthesis surgery are considered alternatives to stem cell transplantation.
Stem cell transplant
Fetal stem cells are used to help eyes damaged by retinal disease. In conditions like macular degeneration, the cells that let us see, called photoreceptors, die. Transplanted cells from the fetus and nearby supportive tissue become healthy photoreceptor cells.
Limbal stem cell transplantation is a significant surgery needing careful handling and special skills. In Turkey, during these surgeries, if the patient's other eye is healthy, stem cells come from there; they're then transplanted into the affected eye. If the other eye is also sick or more stem cells are needed, they're taken from close relatives like parents or siblings and transplanted into the unwell eye.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy offers a promising approach to retina transplantation in Turkey. This method involves introducing a healthy gene into retinal cells to address genetic mutations responsible for eye diseases.
In the case of retinal diseases, genetic tests detect abnormalities or deficiencies in our genes. Unlike some diseases caused by a single gene deficiency, retinitis pigmentosa involves numerous gene disorders. Fortunately, treatments have been developed for certain gene disorders associated with this disease.
For individuals with retinitis pigmentosa, genetic testing is crucial. It helps determine the suitability of available treatments and guides the treatment approach based on the identified gene deficiency. Since these diseases are genetically inherited, undergoing genetic testing not only aids in understanding the disease's origin but also provides insights for genetic counseling regarding its potential transmission to future generations.
Retinal prosthesis implant
In Turkey, they're using an advanced method to treat vision loss – the retinal prosthesis implant. These electronic devices replace declining retinal functions and activate nerve cells for vision. This method helps lots of patients regain functional vision and become visually independent.
Transplantation of retina in Turkey
In Turkey, retinal transplant surgery has a high success rate, which is not common in many other countries. The surgery may not be available in numerous places worldwide because many clinics don't offer it.
In Turkey, retina transplant surgery is performed with a high success rate using various methods. The cost of retina transplant surgery in Turkey is 50-70% cheaper compared to other countries. Even though the cost is so low, Turkish clinics do not compromise on the quality of medical service and ensure patients have access to the best medical service.
With A-Medical, patients benefit from assistance services that include transportation, accommodation, various discounts, hospital transfer and post-operative care organization in clinics and medical centers in Istanbul and Ankara.
Best clinics for retinal transplantation in Turkey
For a successful retina transplant in Turkey, consider Memorial Clinic and Güven Hospital. These clinics feature top-notch doctors, ensuring a high success rate and quality medical services. Patients highly recommend these clinics.
The best doctors for retina transplant surgery in Turkey:
- Abdullah Özkaya (Memorial Clinic)
- Ali Hakan Durukan (Güven Hospital)
Choose A-Medical for your retinal transplant in Turkey, and access the best clinics with top-tier doctors at discounted prices. Benefit from the medical tourism perks through A-Medical for a successful and cost-effective experience.
Why choose A-Medical?
A-Medical ensures that you receive treatment in clinics that have achieved the highest success rates in retinal transplant in Turkey. The treatments you will receive abroad through A-Medical will be of high quality, affordable and accessible. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has access to the medical service they are looking for at affordable costs. That's why we always give priority to patients and connect everyone with the health care they need.
- 100% free comprehensive guide: If you are going to have a retinal transplant in Turkey, you can find all the details in this article. The procedure, recovery time, costs and best clinics are all available in our article.
- Access to the best doctors and clinics: We not only enable you to receive treatment abroad, but also to choose the best doctor and clinics. The clinics we recommend to you are the best in their field in retinal transplant in Turkey.
- Access to world-class medical care: The best medical service is not always the most expensive. We make it easier for you to access first-class medical service within your budget.
- 24/7 patient support: If you are planning to receive treatment abroad, remember that we will be with you from the beginning to the end of the process. You can reach us whenever you want.
