Advanced Retina Surgery has helped thousands of blind people

Dr. Anina Abraham, a highly respected retina specialist from the LV Prasad Eye Institute, discusses recent advancements in retina surgery as well as the benefits and risks of performing early surgery on diabetics. She is now the director of Advanced Retina Care Eye Hospital in Panjagutta, Hyderabad. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes […]

Dr. Anina Abraham, a highly respected retina specialist from the LV Prasad Eye Institute, discusses recent advancements in retina surgery as well as the benefits and risks of performing early surgery on diabetics. She is now the director of Advanced Retina Care Eye Hospital in Panjagutta, Hyderabad.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world today. This complication of diabetes affects the eyes and is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive condition that can lead to blindness. Initially, it might cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. If vision has decreased, it means that your diabetic retinopathy is almost at the final stage.

Vitreous haemorrhage or bleeding inside the eye is a serious condition that can cause sudden loss of vision. If left untreated, it can eventually cause the retina to separate from the underlying layers, resulting in retinal detachment. This requires immediate retina surgery called vitrectomy.

If you experience any sudden vision loss, it is important to seek medical attention immediately as this could be a sign of vitreous haemorrhage. If you are diagnosed with this condition, you will need to undergo surgery as soon as possible to prevent further vision loss.

A decade ago, retina surgery would take 2-3 hours to perform. It involved making large incisions in the coats of the eye ball. The jelly of the eye called the vitreous was removed with a cutter. The retina was settled with silicone oil or gas and finally the eye was stitched up.

Back then, vitreous surgery was difficult because technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today. This made it hard to remove the vitreous completely, which often led to the problem recurring and the retina becoming detached again. With the large instruments that were used back then, retina breaks were common and often caused irreparable damage, leading to complete vision loss.

Today retina surgery is highly advanced. With the latest machinery and fine gauge technology it is possible to achieve excellent results within 30 – 60 minutes.

Dr. Anina Abraham believes that early surgery has always helped diabetic patients retain vision for life. She says it is better to operate before a retinal detachment occurs to ensure complete removal of the vitreous. When to operate is decided on Optical Coherence Tomography, a scan which is done to determine the pull on the retina. If the pull is more, Dr. Abraham operates to save vision.

Dr. Abraham has also developed a very smooth technique for silicone oil removal surgery to ensure that no complications occur during the procedure. She presented this technique at the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Conference in Singapore in 2013. The conference was a great success and Dr. Abraham’s silicone oil removal technique was very well received by the attendees.

Dr. Anina has authored two clinical ophthalmology books, Clinical Ophthalmology Made Easy and Retina Cases Illustrated, which have been bestsellers.