Lomb implant used to prevent blindness

Bausch & Lomb’s steroid-releasing implant is being used to prevent forms of blindness, it has been reported.

The Retisert treatment involves surgically implanting a small plastic tab which contains a steroid called fluocinoloe acetonide into the problematic eye, explained Med Gadget.

It will be used for an autoimmune condition known as sympathetic ophthalmia – a trouble caused when a severely damaged eye and the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the healthy eye.

Until now, the common therapy for this problem, which can lead to a complete loss of sight, was oral steroids and immunosuppressive medication.

The drug tablet implant from Bausch & Lomb can last for about two and a half years before it needs to be replaced.

Although each insert costs around 20,000 dollars (13,757 pounds), it is thought to be more cost effective in the long-run compared to alternative remedies that require frequent hospital visits.

The eye health company Bausch & Lomb was established in 1853 and now employs around 14,000 people globally, while marketing its products in over 100 countries worldwide.