Moritz approaches his degenerative retinal disease with respect, but also with robust optimism. Initial successes with TES give him confidence that he can delay his disease.

Moritz remembers it well: In 2016, he was starting to be able to recognize street signs only with increasing difficulty. “At first, I blamed it on my glasses, but it quickly turned out that this wasn’t the problem.” That was the beginning of a long journey for the 47-year-old from one established ophthalmologist to another and even to a clinic – all without the cause being found. Finally in 2017 at Berlin’s Charité hospital the correct hypothesis was made and confirmed by genetic testing: Moritz suffers from cone-rod dystrophy, or CRD. In this very rare disease, first the cones and then the rods in the retina die. With the diagnosis, he also received the news that there was no causative treatment. “I tried everything possible, including dietary changes and interval fasting. None of that did anything, on the contrary,” Moritz says.

In 2017, like it is often the case with this disease, there was a rapid deterioration. At the beginning of 2018, Moritz was only able to use 15 percent of his vision. “Today, for example, I recognize faces only at close range. That’s why I´ve made it a habit to greet everyone on the street in my neighborhood, which is kind of unusual in Berlin “, Moritz says with a slight smile.

Although it is not possible for him to be a self-employed management consultant anymore, he started to work as a voluntarily start-up coach. This task gives him a lot of pleasure – which he would like to continue for as long as possible. He gained new hope when he visited a two-day seminar organized by PRO RETINA Deutschland e. V., a self-help association of people with retinal degenerations. “There, a lecture was given on transcorneal electrostimulation. Then I was looking for all of the specialist publications I could get on that subject. At first, I wasn’t convinced at all. It was unclear whether TES would work for my clinical picture. But it seemed worth a try,” Moritz says.

After this, he used TES for the first time in February 2020 and continues to do so regularly once a week for 30 minutes. “Only during an eyelid rim inflammation – I’ve had problems with this before – I had to stop the therapy for a short time,” confirms Moritz. The turning point came in February. “Since then, no further deterioration has been noticeable and since November 2019, I have a stable vision. Subjectively, I can say: Yes, the treatment does something for me.” During the application, he regularly feels a tingling sensation and, initially, he also frequently notices light phenomena, the so-called phosphenes. However, this does not bother him.

A thoroughly optimistic person, Moritz hopes that the concept, with TES as a key-contributor, will last for a long time. “You can’t do more at this point, plus the effort is absolutely justifiable. Therefore, I would definitely recommend the TES to others” says Moritz and adds: “In my opinion the Okuvision team is very solution-oriented, and the interaction is extremely pleasant. This gives you a good feeling as a user.”