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Patrícia Gonçalves, a 31-year-old Portuguese woman, has become the first person in the UK to benefit from a new laser operation controlled by artificial intelligence. Poorly sighted without her glasses, the operation has enabled her to regain optimum vision.
Patrícia Gonçalves has worn glasses since she was 5 years old. According to David Allamby, the surgeon who operated on the young woman, “she couldn’t even make out the huge letter ‘E’ at the top of the chart used for eye tests” without her glasses. Her visual acuity was 20/200. “My strong astigmatism has never allowed me to wear contact lenses comfortably, and my night vision really isn’t that great,” she told The Telegraph newspaper. Following the operation, the young Portuguese woman was able to regain her 20/20 vision.
The procedure, which costs around 7,800 euros (£6,500), first creates a 3D model of the patient’s eyes, enabling the AI to test thousands of bespoke techniques before a surgeon applies the best solution to the real eyes.
According to the clinic where the operation took place, this is the most effective technology ever used for this type of laser surgery, as it corrects eyesight by significantly minimizing image distortion on the retina.
Available in several countries, including Australia and the UK, this technology is considered a major breakthrough in the medical field. It has been hailed by the British organization Blind Ambition as “a beacon of hope for all visually impaired people”.
