Health Tips › Retinal Detachment

Seeing the light again

Emergency eye surgery on a detached retina saves a man’s sight and gives him a fresh outlook on life.

The tell-tale signs were all there. A trained medical doctor himself, Mark Low had a nagging feeling about his own left eye. Something was not right but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Even when he spotted dark ‘objects’ darting about, he dismissed them as flies.

But things got progressively worse and on the second day of Chinese New Year earlier this year, alarm bells rang when the 50-year-old noticed a layer of darkness across the top of his left eye.

This time he knew the symptoms could not be attributed to severe myopia or a previous eye cataract surgery. The situation had grown serious and he instinctively knew that any further delay in seeking medical attention could result in blindness.

So the very next day, Mark headed straight to the 24-Hour Walk-in Clinic & Emergency department at Mount Alvernia Hospital. By then, his sense of urgency had grown as the layer of ‘darkness’ had progressed downwards.

As a physician himself, Mark knew he needed specialist attention immediately and requested to see the eye specialist on call.

Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr Jacob Cheng was on duty at the time and quickly responded to the call. After examining Mark and taking his history, Dr Cheng diagnosed the problem to be retinal detachment.

Retinal Detachment

The condition was serious as the retina is the part of the eye where visual acuity is highest and gives the best vision. By the time the Ophthalmologist examined him, almost half the retina in Mark’s left eye had already detached off the base, so it was expedient that surgery be carried out as soon as possible.

Dr Cheng explained the consequences, “When a tissue is detached in our body, it loses its function. In the case of the eye, if surgery is delayed, the retina may not be able to ‘stick back’ to the base, just like scotch tape that loses its stickiness. Once the retina loses its functionality, the result can be complete blindness.”

As time was of essence, surgery was scheduled for the very same day. It was a delicate operation as it involved a part of the eye which was difficult to reach. Post operation, the doctors also had to be on the watch for complications that could pull the retina off again.

Dr Jacob Cheng and his team had their work cut out for them.

The game plan was to attempt a scleral buckle operation, which is basically tying a circular band made of silicone to push in the left eyeball.

The second step was a vitrectomy which involved removal of the vitreous - the gel that gives the eyeball its shape.

Finally, gas or oil would be injected into the eye to restore the shape of the eyeball.

Luckily for Mark, he had made it to the doctors in time and the surgery was successful. But it was still a long road to full recovery.

Downward Doc

Following surgery, Dr Cheng advised Mark to try to maintain a face down prone position as much as possible over the next three weeks. He also had to wear an eye patch and rely on his good eye for vision. ”

The doctor’s orders were challenging, but with the help of his family and some discipline and ingenuity, Mark managed to get by the very inconvenient and stressful period.

To read his computer, he would stand and look downwards at his desk with the computer monitor lying flat on the table and face-up.

When he returned to work at his clinic, Mark still could not look up to speak with patients so he wore a sign that informed people that he was looking downward because he just had an eye operation, not because he was rude.

As he couldn’t drive himself, his wife drove him to and fro work every day and as soon as he reached home, he would head straight to bed to rest.

Although it was a ‘dark’ period for Mark –literally, he is thankful for the people who came to his aid quickly when he needed it most – notwithstanding the fact it was right smack during the Chinese New Year period when most businesses shut down for the annual holidays and many head home to spend time with their families.

The gracious gentleman recalled that the hospital staff who attended to him “were always smiling and made me feel at home”. They surprised him with a bouquet of flowers when he was admitted, a gesture that really touched him.

He also found his doctors very attentive and concerned, recalling that his eye surgeons checked in on him the day after the operation, even though it was the third day of the Lunar New Year.

“I am very grateful to Dr Cheng and everyone at Mount Alvernia for their professionalism and selfless care towards me as a patient,” said Mark. “Dr Cheng visited me at the ward and also called me after my discharge to check on my recovery,” he remembers appreciatively.

Brand New Vision

Eight weeks after the operation, Mark had a vision he will never forget. During recovery, all he could see with his left eye was a grey bubble. Then one day, it broke up into tiny bubbles, forming a kaleidoscopic image and disappeared. It signalled the restoration of full vision for the injured eye and was “one of the most beautiful sights” he had ever seen.

Today, Mark is back on his feet and looking up again. Reflecting back on the whole experience, he realises that he had been short-sighted in more ways than one prior to the operation.

“I have a different outlook on life now,” said Mark. “I can fully appreciate how a mild impairment can restrict one’s lifestyle, performance at work, and bring inconvenience to people around me. I no longer let work take precedence over (taking care of) myself.”