Q: Is it possible to do a retina transplant? If not, then what are the chances of it becoming a reality in near future?

A:At the present time the following options are available for retinal transplantation. 1. Transplantation of the whole retina per se, is presently not available. 2. Macular translocation surgeries are being performed with fairly decent results, and are used in patients of ARMD or macular disease. 3. RPE transplants (one layer of the retina only – the retina has 10 layers) are being done as experiments in animal studies only. 4. A new and revolutionary procedure involving microchips implanted in the retina may take away the need a functional retina, by passing it to send impulses to the optic Nerve directly. This is again, experimental at present. The next 10 years promise many developments in the field.