This booklet contains valuable information regarding the disease, the operation in Cuba, the doctor who performs the operation, and actual testimonial of people who have received the operation.
The Cuba treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) consists of a surgical technique associated with ozonotherapy, electrostimulation, vitamin therapy and with ongoelements.
Based on the hypothesis of improving the blood supply, oxygen and other nourishing substances to the choroids and retina, this surgical treatment began after a series of experimental trials on animal models.
Our investigation in this field have shown that the progressive deterioration of the patient as basically evaluated through the visual field and visual acuity, may be stabilized as compared with patients left at their natural course. According to the figures, patients left at their natural course (46.9% compared to 63%). On the other hand patients who reported various degrees of improvement are 43.8% compared to 16% with a natural course. Only 9.2% of the patients were worse compared to the 21% reported to be worse in natural course studies. Patients usually report improvement immediately after surgery but this couldn't be proven in these studies.
The surgical indication and outcome depends on the state and manner of progression of the disease. Better Responses are obtained among patients with earlier stages before the rapid deterioration has begun.
Upon arrival at the clinic and during the first week, patients undergo a complete physical examination by technicians (and pediatricians in case of children), to evaluate if they are candidates for surgery and at the same time to discover conditions which could be related to RP. Professor Palaez and his team will then examine the patients to decide the treatment which is specific for each individual patient.
Surgery is performed in a very well equipped operating room with all the necessary clinical and anaesthetist support. This surgery requires local anesthesia associated with sedatives which makes it absolutely painless. Generally we perform the surgery on both eyes at the same time. After that both eyes will be occluded for an average of three days.
Complicatiions in this surgery are less common than reported for average retinal surgery. The most frequently observed is double vision (diplopia) reported in a 0.5%. This is usually transient although, in rare persistent diplopia cases, surgical solutions have been needed for this total correction.
Ozone improves the action of different metabolic systems involved with the metabolization of oxygen and with the energy production by the tissues. For ozonotherapy we use low concentration ozone given intravenously since there is no significant difference between them in terms of efficacy. Measures to avoid possibilities of diseases transmitted via I.V. or rectal are taken following international recommendations. Materials used in this treatment are all for single use.
The actions of ozone takes about 4 weeks to start due to the latency of biochemical reactions that have to take place.
In the majority of the cases a second evalution by Professor Palaez and his team is needed in about 8 to 16 months after the first visit. In this visit we repeat all the investigations to determine the outcome of the first treatment and frequently a second ozonotherapy is recommended.
The cost of the first treatment is $7040.00 USD plus $40.00 USD a day for an accompanying person or relative. It covers 21 days with breakfast, lunch and dinner, routine investigations, consultations and treatment. In the second visit, which usually takes 15 days, the cost depends on the therapy decided but is on average of $3040.00 USD.
For application for treatment, patients must send their last ophthalmologic examination (within 3 months). It should include: brief clinical history, visual acuity, visual fields, fundoscopy, electroretinogram and personal medical history and information of any other eye problem. Then the patient should inform us about the exact date and time of arrival, the airline in which he/she was booked and flight number.
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