Surgery Could Help Restore Vision To Blind St. Louis County Woman

A blind St. Louis County woman hopes to soon travel to Portugal for a surgical procedure that could restore part of her vision. Overland resident Cheri Robertson was blinded in a car accident when she was 19. Now 32, Robertson is exploring an opportunity to restore some of her vision through a surgical procedure involving an electronic eye and a computer that would allow her to view forms and shapes. The operation is not currently performed in the United States because it lacks Food and Drug Administration approval. Robertson says the FDA is concerned because electrodes are placed on the visual cortex, which is part of the brain, and this could conceivably cause infections and/or seizures. As for concerns associated with the surgery, Robertson isn’t worried. Robertson and her doctor plan to head off to Portugal as soon as Robertson raises the $115,000 needed to pay for the operation, equipment, and convalescence.