DARSHAN EYE CARE

Corneal Transplant On 18 Day Old Baby

An EYE for an eye…….Vision for life……..Thanks Doc

The baby was all of 18 days old and was in danger of losing his vision for life as he had corneal opacity called Peter’s anomaly. That was when Dr Srinivas K Rao rolled up his sleeves to ensure that the baby’s vision was restored.

The eye transplant surgery that began at 6.30 am, 24 August, lasted for about an hour. Ably supported by Dr Shaji Hussain, Dr Srinivas ensured the little one was going to see the world in all its wonderful colours.

The anaesthetic wing under renowned paediatric anaesthetist, Dr Ramesh, ensured a smooth surgery for the baby.

The surgery was scheduled at 6.30 am and the anaesthetic wing under the renowned paediatric anaesthetist Dr Ramesh ensured a smooth Penetrating Keratoplasty lasting for one hour. The surgical team under Dr Srinvas K Rao and Dr Shaji Hussain, ensured a well stream lined flow throughout the procedure with the state of art facilitated theatre at Darshan Eye Care. There was a sigh of relief in everyone’s heart when the baby coughed to consciousness during extubation.

According to Dr Srinivas.K.Rao, corneal development happens in three waves in the womb during gestation. The cornea is formed by different cellular structures during the baby’s development in the womb. Sometimes a defect in this process can result in a devastating corneal opacity as in this child, called Peter’s Anomaly.

The doctor first noticed the baby’s eye problem when he was brought to Darshan Eye Care, Anna Nagar, by the parents on (17 th August 2015). Dr Srinivas then decided he would have to do a transplant – probably a first in the state on an 18-day-old child – to save the child’s vision. His action would decide whether the baby would live like a normal child or be labelled as differently-abled.

Setting out to erase that thin dividing line between the two conditions, Dr Srinivas approached the parents with a suggestion for surgery.

All set for the momentous day, the doctor and his team were ready to create history. The surgery involved a corneal transplant.It was a 25 year old cornea.

The baby was monitored continuously after the surgery and the prognosis three days after surgery was heartening: The little one was going to see the world with the help of a donor eye.

As Dr Srinivas emerged out of the operation theatre, he was greeted by the baby’s father. “You are like a second God to me,” said the father, emotionally. That would be the feeling of the baby also once he grows up and finds what a difference a donor and Dr Srinivas had made to his life.

What is Peter’s anomaly

This condition causes corneal opacity in both eyes of a baby due to problems during the development of the foetus. The devastating corneal opacity in an infant can lead to blindness for life.It affects the iris, cornea and lens of the eye. The only solution is corneal transplantation.

Foetal development of Cornea

The cornea is formed by different cellular structures during the baby’s development in the womb. Sometimes a defect in this process can result in a devastating corneal opacity as in this child, called Peter’s Anomaly.

Eye donation

Cornea of a deceased person is removed for use in a person needing corneal transplant.

Who can donate & Who is recipient:  Anybody with a healthy pair of eyes including Diabetes. It can be one or more persons who have blindness due to corneal disease.

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