Vision of 124-year-old man restored at Al-Shifa Eye Trust

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Vision of 124-year-old man restored at Al-Shifa Eye Trust

By Our correspondentRAWALPINDI: "Yes I can see," this was the spontaneous response of 124 years old poor Mutalli, who was recently restored vision after a successful operation at Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital.Mutalli belongs to Mandi Bahauddin, where eye related diseases are on the rise due to Hepatitis. The family of the Mutalli, being the poor was unable to bear the expenses of operation at any private clinic with a dim hope of restoring the sight. However, on the suggestion of some relatives who are residing in Rawalpindi, Mutalli was brought to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital Rawalpindi last week. A team of expert doctors at Al-Shifa diagnosed Mutalli with cataract eye disease. The team conducted successful operation and Mutalli got his vision restored in his right eye.Dr Tayyab Afghani talking to this scribe said, "the operation was very critical in nature due to old age of the patient and this was one of the oldest case of cataract in the history of Al-Shifa."He said about 100 cataract operations are performed each day at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospitals Rawalpindi, Kohat and Sukkur. With success rate of over 98 per cent, cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective health intervention in medical science. Substitution of artificial lens after removing the cataract has been one of the most epoch making developments in medicine over last 20 years. At the moment the total cost to the patient of cataract surgery with artificial lens (IOL) varies between 15 dollars to 100 dollars in Pakistan.Akram, the grandson of Muttali, told this scribe, "we are very happy that our grandfather is no more handicapped and now he can see anything and can live independently. We are thankful to God and to Al-Shifa for free of cost and successful operation."The cataract surgery has rapidly transformed from a mere surgical skill into a highly artistic adventure. 30 years back, thick glasses were to be worn and lying flat for ten or more days was must after cataract surgery. Now cataract patients drive in for surgery and drive out the same day after surgery. From intracapsular to phaco, from thick glasses to rigid intra-ocular lens to foldable lens and now multi-focal lens, lot of choice is there for all. Restoration of sight only is not the aim now. It is the restoration of quality of life with perfect laser sharp vision, which is the goal at present. Al-Shifa Trust is centre of excellence for such type of surgery and for people from all walks of life.

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