Honolulu woman receives bionic eye implant

A 72-year-old Honolulu woman may soon be able to boast she has a bionic eye.

Click here to watch Catherine Cruz's report.

A team of doctors at the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii performed the life-changing operation Tuesday.

Doctors say she lost her eyesight two years ago because of a hereditary disease called retinitis pigmentosa.

They hope in a few months she will be able to regain some of her sight--specifically--shapes and movement.

"If you can imagine if somebody is in total darkness and they are able to see down a hallway and see someone walk down it is a huge impactful impact on their life," said Dr. Gregg Kokame, who performed the operation.

The surgery involves implanting a chip in the eye which paired with a camera attached to a glasses could soon will help make out shades of grey.

Not color and fine detail. At least not yet.

It apparently has been shown to work on patients who've had eyesight and then lost it.

But the co-developer of the technology says it offers hope and some sight, even if you've been blind for years.

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Honolulu woman receives bionic eye implant