Andrea Cusumano – President of the Macula & Genoma Foundation, a non-profit based in Rome – and Robin Ross – from Red Rover Ventures, a non-profit based in Scottsdale (Arizona, USA) – have demonstrated that performing and receiving highly specialized diagnoses and treatments for retinal diseases, without requiring patients or experts to travel from their respective locations, is now a tangible reality that can become part of good clinical practice.
“Providing and receiving medical care regardless of the physical distance between doctor and patient” is the fundamental principle of telemedicine, a medical field that has developed significantly in recent years, thanks also to its ability to better meet the growing demand for healthcare in industrialized countries, largely due to population aging.
Tele-ophthalmology has also experienced substantial growth, though mostly limited to the field of remote diagnostics. The challenges that had hindered the development and dissemination of remote treatment in ophthalmology have been overcome thanks to the introduction of the new Navilas laser, which incorporates cutting-edge software and medical technologies. These make it suitable both for retinal imaging diagnostics and for the remote treatment of various retinal diseases, including diabetic macular edema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, exudative age-related macular degeneration and some variants of its atrophic form, post-venous thrombosis conditions, peripheral retinal degenerations, retinal tears, and some chronic forms of central serous chorioretinopathy.
On February 22, Andrea Cusumano and Robin Ross marked a historic milestone in tele-ophthalmology by carrying out the first remotely guided retinal treatments between Italy and the USA. During this transoceanic session, three patients were treated in total—two in Rome and one in Scottsdale—using twin Navilas devices located at the two respective centers. The procedures, quick and painless, were successfully completed and paved the way for new projects aimed at creating a more agile and equitable healthcare system.
The two twin lasers enabled real-time sharing of patients’ clinical images and the co-planning of the optimal remotely guided treatment protocol for each case. Once finalized, the therapeutic plans were remotely transferred to the devices at the patients’ locations, and each specialist initiated the pre-configured treatment plan for their assigned patient.
With two or more navigated lasers, it becomes possible to conduct diagnostics and plan extremely delicate treatments even if only one of the specialists has the necessary know-how and experience. Navigated lasers rely on a safety system (eye-tracking) that ensures perfect execution of the treatment protocol exactly as previously planned by the experts. This is an essential resource for patients undergoing treatments in the macular area, where even the slightest error could cause serious and irreversible damage to the retina and vision.
Treatments performed using the new Navilas laser are not only safer but also more precise and effective than those performed with conventional lasers. Andrea Cusumano and Robin Ross are actively working to promote this technology and to establish reference centers in Europe and, in the future, in technologically less advanced countries—to offer their populations not only new therapeutic options but also advanced know-how through non-profit educational programs for local ophthalmologists.
Considering that the navigated laser can be used to treat highly prevalent retinal diseases—which, if untreated, can lead to severe visual impairment or even complete loss of vision—it is clear that the impact of this project is immense. It means offering the best ophthalmological expertise in the world to patients living in areas with limited infrastructure and technological resources, or those suffering from major disabilities or severe economic hardship. The adoption of navigated lasers and the creation of strategically located reference centers across the globe could overcome geographical, social, and economic barriers that have until now remained insurmountable.
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