2 corneal transplants at AIIMS-Raipur

RAIPUR: All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) has cured corneal blindness by performing corneal transplant surgery on two patients—a 65-year-old and a 35-year-old—who had lost vision in the early years of their life.
The two patients were suffering from an infection leading to the opacity of cornea. The corneal abrasion gradually damaged their cornea and they lost their eyesight.
Dr.Vijaya Sahu, an ophthalmologist at AIIMS who treated the patients, said one person was suffering from a corneal ulcer while the other had vision problems. Immediate surgery was required in both cases, so without waiting, corneal transplant surgery was performed on both patients by taking the cornea from the eye bank. If people donate their eyes, a new bright life can be given to needy. Both patients have been discharged and are called for their follow-ups, she added.
State program officer for blindness prevention Dr. Subhash Mishra told TOI that medical department is trying to provide eyesight to make the state blindness free. Recently eye bank at AIIMS Raipur has been given recognition.
Corneal transplantation is the only known cure for corneal blindness. It is a surgical procedure where the damaged cornea is replaced by a healthy cornea from a deceased donor. Lack of awareness, myths and fears associated with eye donation is responsible for people not donating their eyes.
He urged the people to donate their eyes, stating that it is considered to be the biggest donation. Eye donation can only happen after the death of a person and with the consent of family members.
Every eye bank in the state now has eye counselors who get in contact with the people interested in donation. The counselor team screens the deceased to check if the eye is healthy on medical grounds. The patient who needs the transplant is then called and the transplant surgery is done.
Eye donation in Chhattisgarh in 2019-20 was recorded at 362, while in the year 2020-2021, the number of donors declined to three due to the pandemic. In the year 2021-2022, a total of 100 people donated their eyes, while in the year 2022-2023, a total of 56 people have donated till July, he added.