Finding light for a girl with 10 years of eye damage

A 19-year-old girl lost vision in her right eye after an inflammation more than 10 years ago. Doctors at Saigon Eye General Hospital performed surgery to restore her sight.

The girl, from Ca Mau, had been given medicine and eye drops by a local doctor to treat her red eyes, but her vision had deteriorated and she could no longer see clearly. For the past 10 years, she had no means of treatment and had to endure many difficulties and inconveniences in her studies and daily life. This was the first time she had come to Ho Chi Minh City for a check-up.

On January 1, Dr. Dao Cao Nhat Dan, Saigon Eye Hospital, said that when the patient arrived at the hospital, he could only count how many fingers the technician was holding up at a distance of 0.5 meters. The doctor diagnosed the patient with old uveitis and loss of the lens nucleus. This is a very rare complication of uveitis, which can cause severe vision loss.

It is difficult to determine but can still be treated because the patient's optic nerve and retina are still very good, the ability of the eye to recover is high, said Dr. Nguyen Tran Quoc Hoang, director of the hospital, who performed surgery to place an artificial lens.

Doctor Nguyen Tran Quoc Hoang (left) performs surgery on a patient. Photo: Provided by the hospital — Doctor Nguyen Tran Quoc Hoang (left) performs surgery on a patient. Photo: *Provided by the hospital*

After surgery, the patient's vision improved to 7/10 in the right eye, with no more uncomfortable blurred vision. "I had lost all hope of recovering my vision, I never thought I would be able to see everything clearly now, making daily life much easier," the patient said.

According to Dr. Dan, uveitis is an eye disease that can be caused by many factors such as infection, trauma... or autoimmune (the body has antibodies against the uvea). The disease is easily confused with pink eye because it has similar symptoms such as red eyes, sensitivity to light, watery eyes and blurred vision.

However, uveitis has some unique characteristics such as redness of the conjunctiva around the edge of the iris (also known as limbal congestion), eye pain, possibly accompanied by increased intraocular pressure, and is not as contagious as pink eye.

The patient's vision recovered after surgery. Photo: Provided by the hospital — The patient's vision recovered after surgery. Photo: *Provided by the hospital*

Autoimmune uveitis cannot be prevented. If it is caused by a parasitic infection, it can be prevented by maintaining good hygiene, not washing your face or eyes with contaminated water, and protecting your eyes with glasses when exposed to dusty environments.

If detected early, the disease can be cured with medication, leaving few sequelae. If the golden time is missed, the disease can cause serious problems not only related to vision but also affecting health.

Doctors recommend that when the eyes show unusual signs, you should see a specialist for timely diagnosis and treatment. Do not arbitrarily apply home remedies without a doctor's guidance.

Le Phuong

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