Rapid eye treatment for diabetic patients
WHEN you are retired with impaired hearing but enjoy using your computer, particularly Skype to speak with family in Australia, good vision is crucially important. Eight eye specialists at Nuffield Health Cardiff & Vale Hospitals are on hand to help without delay.
At 80, Mr John Roche from the Vale of Glamorgan, is undergoing a relatively new treatment – a series of intravitreal injections for his eye condition.
Having had diabetes for 17 years, he had a risk of retinal vein occlusion, which means that abnormal blood vessels get blocked and leak under the retina causing a loss of vision. It is the blocked retinal veins which normally receive light.
With annual eye check-ups being the norm for diabetic Mr Roche, in February his optician noticed a change. As part of the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service, he was referred to an eye specialist and put on the NHS waiting list.
A few weeks later, when his vision became blurry in his right eye, he decided to see diabetic specialist ophthalmologist Mr Raghu Ram privately.
At the appointment at Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital, they detected that he had suffered a bleed and Mr Ram felt that urgent treatment was required to stop any deterioration and possibly improve Mr Roche’s vision.
The relatively new antiangiogenic drug injection therapy slows the progression of vision loss by stopping the abnormal blood vessels from growing and helping to control the leakage.
Now, after three lots of monthly injections, Mr Roche is able to read further down the letter chart and scans show an improvement in the affected eye.
Consultant ophthalmologist Mr Ram said: “Scans show that the swelling has reduced. Mr Roche may need five to six injections and I am optimistic that we will be able to further improve his vision.”
Mr Roche, said: “As long as things keep improving, I am happy to keep having the injections. It only takes a couple of minutes with drops and a local anaesthetic.
“You have to keep trying new treatments and we are lucky to have found this quickly. My wife Rose and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary next year and we want to get on with enjoying our lives – we can’t hang around waiting!”
In addition to his private work with Nuffield Health, consultant ophthalmologist Mr Ram has his NHS position at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
He has specialist interests in small-incision cataract surgery, diabetic eye diseases and medical retinal conditions including macular degeneration and lachrymal disorders, as well as laser treatment for watering eyes. Mr Ram has been actively involved in the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service which has been successfully running on an all-Wales basis since 2003.
For more information about Nuffield Health eye specialists, please ring 029 2083 6714.