Torino: first bilateral 3D eye surgery in the world on a newborn

The Molinette Hospital in Turin is in the spotlight worldwide for performing the first surgery of its kind ever conducted. This is indeed the first successful bilateral eye surgery utilizing advanced 3D visualization on a 40-day-old baby. Little Matteo is now home with his family and in excellent health.

Another important chapter is added to the miracles of medicine in Italy in just a few days. To learn more, click here: first case in the world of childbirth after surgery for chondrosarcoma.

The Surgery Saved the Child from Irreversible Blindness

Little Matteo was born with a very delicate prognosis. He was affected by a rare form of congenital cataract, associated with a developmental deficit in the back of the eye. A few days after birth, Dr. Caterina Carbonara from the Neonatology department of Sant’Anna Hospital detected a whitish reflection at the pupil level, known as leukocoria. The condition would have inevitably led to irreversible blindness, with no chance of recovery in the coming years: the surgery was necessary but came with no guarantees.

The operation was performed by Prof. Michele Reibaldi, Director of University Ophthalmology at Città della Salute.

“We were more anxious about the anesthesia than the surgery itself,” the baby’s parents recount. “The operation lasted two hours, and when we were told that everything went well, we felt a wave of joy wash over us. The treatment journey is not over yet, but the worst is behind us; now we can’t stop showering our baby with affection.”

It was a difficult decision for the new parents from Turin, who reported having complete and absolute trust in the medical team. They had no guarantees of success but felt they had no other options. This is a story of luck, courage, and hope that has had the best possible ending. Matteo is the first baby in the world to undergo bilateral vitrectomy using 3D visualization, a highly advanced technology that allowed the surgeon a broader view of the extremely delicate and small tissues, given that he is only 40 days old.

The surgery could not be performed in the first days of life; however, it had to be done within 6 to 7 weeks, as otherwise, the opacity would have prevented the development of sight altogether. Therefore, the timing for the intervention was crucial.

This operation not only represents a milestone in the history of medicine and surgical intervention but also serves as a shining beacon of capability and trust for the team at the hospital and its patients. Giovanni La Valle, Director of Città della Salute in Turin, remarked: “The surgery exemplifies significant advancements in ophthalmic surgery and how the use of technological innovations at Città della Salute in Turin allows us to tackle the most complex cases, previously deemed untreatable, such as this one, where our professionals in an unprecedented procedure have given new hopes for sight to a little newborn.”

Moreover, Città della Salute in Turin is the largest hospital complex in Europe, comprising four hospitals, including the renowned Molinette, where the surgery took place.

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