DONCASTER SURGEONS PERFORM PIONEERING SURGERY TO PREVENT BLINDNESS

The sight of a 50 year-old Nottinghamshire resident was saved in a pioneering operation carried out by a surgical team at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Julia Clarke was referred to the Trust’s Eye Department at Doncaster Royal Infirmary with rapidly deteriorating eyesight due to a thyroid-related condition. In spite of intensive treatment with medicine, the eyeball swelled up within its bony cavity leading to almost complete blindness. Any further delay could have led to a permanent loss of sight.

Newly-appointed Consultant Ophthalmic [Eye] Surgeon, Mr Omar Hadid, who has a special interest in this field, led the team, including a Consultant ENT Surgeon, Mr Ullas Raghavan, and undertook a three and a half hour operation. It was the first orbital decompression for thyroid disease ever carried out in Doncaster.

After an anxious 24 hours, the operated eye recovered completely with normal vision. Julia was well enough to read and see normally. And at her follow-up appointment this month, her eye is back to normal and she doesn’t need a similar operation on her other eye. Julia talked about the results: “I am 110% delighted with the treatment I’ve had. I can’t fault it – and I’m thrilled to be the first patient in this pioneering operation.”

Julia is pictured at her outpatient examination with Mr Hadid.

Carrying out this extensive surgery for decompressing the optic nerve in the active stages of the disease is not only high-risk due to the critical anatomical structures around the optic nerve canal but is also surgically challenging owing to the nature of the inflamed and swollen orbital tissues.

This is the first operation of its kind carried out by the Trust’s surgeons. Usually, it is only carried out in a few centres in the UK, principally teaching hospitals.

So, normally, patients from Bassetlaw or Doncaster would have to go to big tertiary hospitals – Nottingham or Sheffield, for example - for this type of complex and dangerous condition. Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals joins the small group of centres of excellence performing this rewarding surgery now on our doorstep.

Mr Shahed Quraishi, Clinical Director – Head & Neck and Ophthalmology and himself an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat) Consultant, was pleased with his colleagues’ achievements: “This was our first operation of this kind and I’m delighted at the way things have gone. The lead surgeon has only been with us a few weeks. We had to borrow some essential equipment from Sheffield and we’re very grateful to colleagues there. But it shows that, with the right skills and equipment, we can do this sort of surgery on patients’ doorsteps.”