A 16-year-old boy hailing from Kalaburagi, who was declared blind and was provided a blind certificate, has now got the gift of vision through a free advanced surgery and treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru.
The boy, Ganesh (name changed), had been complaining of progressive worsening of vision in both eyes since he was aged three. However, owing to financial constraints, his family could not get him timely treatment.
He came to Sankara Eye Hospital in the city through the hospital’s ‘Gift of Vision’ initiative. On examination, the boy was diagnosed with severe retinal detachment complications with numerous retinal angiomas and associated scarring, specific for a condition known as Von-Hippel Lindau disease (VHL).
VHL is a hereditary condition associated with tumours arising in multiple organs mainly in the brain, spinal cord and retina. This genetic disorder has a high risk of getting transmitted to the children. Following a detailed discussion with the family members, doctors learnt that the boy’s grandmother was the only surviving member of the family. The boy’s parents and two siblings had succumbed to the disease a few years back. VHL as a disease can be catastrophic not only to the patient but also to the entire family.
After having made the diagnosis, a team of doctors under the supervision of Mahesh Shanmugam, Head – Ocular Oncology and Vitreoretinal diseases, at the hospital successfully performed the surgery free of cost. Through the surgery, the doctors fixed the complicated retinal detachment and also treated the multiple tumours with laser therapy to prevent them from causing any further damage to the eye. The boy was able to see within two weeks after the surgery and is now leading a near normal life.
