Good vision is a requirement for Gurdeep's job as a truck driver, so losing the vision in one of his eyes with no warning left him fearing his career–and life as he knew it–had changed forever. But treatment by a skilled retina specialist at SCEH gave him hope and restored his sight.
As a truck driver, Gurdeep relies on good eyesight to stay on the road and stay safe. In fact, having healthy vision in both eyes is required to earn a commercial driver’s license, and Gurdeep has always passed the required vision test to stay behind the wheel.
So, when he woke up one morning and noticed a dark spot in the bottom of his vision, he didn’t think much of it and went about his day. Soon, the dark spot grew larger until Gurdeep could only see a sliver of light from the top of his left eye.
After a visit to an eye screening camp organized at ………. by Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital under the Eicher Driver Care Program, Gurdeep learned he was likely suffering a retinal detachment, and feared he may lose vision in his left eye permanently, changing his life, and taking away his livelihood. He was devastated, thinking that he would be blind in one eye for the rest of his life, and that he wouldn’t be able to work or take care of his family.
Gurdeep was referred to the SCEH tertiary hospital in Delhi for further diagnosis and treatment options. After the examination, the Retina specialist confirmed that Gurdeep had a retinal detachment, in which the retina separates from the back wall of the eye, like wallpaper peeling off of a wall, resulting in vision loss. He shared the treatment options, and together as a team they decided to repair the detachment right then and there with a procedure called a pneumatic retinopexy. This complex and delicate procedure entails injecting a small gas bubble into the eye where it expands to cover the retinal tears and pushes the detached retina back into place onto the inner wall of the eye. In addition to the pneumatic retinopexy, the retina specialist used a laser to seal the tears in the retina to help prevent future detachments.
“Within 20 minutes of the procedure I started to regain some of my vision, I was blown away,” Gurdeep said. “I felt like everything was taken away, and then given right back to me. The expertise and skill of my doctor had saved my sight.”
Since the procedure, Gurdeep is back to work and doing the things he loves including spending time with family and completing crossword puzzles. He’s told his siblings and friends to have regular dilated retina exams and wants everyone to know more about retinal detachments and retina specialists, so they can get the care they need immediately if they ever experience one.
“I didn’t know there were retina specialists until I needed one. Now I am committed to getting my eyes checked as often as I should and letting others know they should do the same,” Gurdeep said. “Eye care is a big priority for me now and everyone should know that if they experience a retinal detachment there’s hope as long as you act quickly and seek out a retina specialist.Share on: