THERE are a number of ways that one can lose their ability to see; harm to the cornea, the transparent tissue found at the front of the eye, above the coloured iris, is just one of the ways that can contribute to someone being unable to see clearly, or even at all.

A research paper published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that diseases affecting the cornea are a major cause of blindness worldwide, second only to cataract in overall importance. Local firefighter, 32-year-old Shameer Nazeer, has been one of the many people whose cornea has been affected.
In fact, he was diagnosed with a corneal infection, but is unable to pinpoint exactly when he picked up that infection, since he has always been a very active person. This infection, according to local ophthalmologist Dr. Celeste Hinds, causes the cornea to become cloudy, which prevents one from seeing clearly, or even at all.

Beyond mere statistics, Nazeer’s infection illustrates the burden of an affected cornea: Loss of sight and the frustration at being unable to see, as well as the inability to participate in the sports he loves, or save people from fires, as he has been doing.

“I never experienced anything like that,” Nazeer said, emphasising: “I don’t want to experience something like that again.”

In addition to an infection, Dr. Hinds explained that there are other ways the cornea can become affected; like by trauma to the eye, including scratches or a hit, and a disease known as keratoconus, which causes the membrane to bulge outward.

Fundamentally, however, the cornea is a clear structure that allows one to see, and if this becomes damaged and cloudy, one’s vision would become compromised. Fortunately, this is treatable. A corneal transplant can be done to replace a cloudy, damaged cornea with, well, another cornea. And, Dr. Hinds related that this new cornea is usually taken from someone who has passed away. Once removed, however, it has a viability of only about two weeks.

Corneal transplants have been conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) over the past few years. Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the GPHC, Dr. Shailendra Sugrim, during a recent interview related that through support from the George Subraj Foundation in New York, the hospital has been able to conduct nearly 100 such transplants. And, effectively, they have been able to restore the sight of those people.

It is important to note that the Foundation helps with sourcing corneal tissues from individuals in the United States (US), and shipping them to Guyana for the operation, since the human tissue transplant legislation is still in the works.

With that tissue shipped to Guyana, patients are then able to undergo the treatment. Nazeer is one such individual who benefitted from a corneal transplant. In May, this year, he was among the first group of patients who benefited from this surgical procedure since it was last done in February 2019.
That transplant was a success, though Nazeer’s had minor hiccups during the post-surgery period. And now, he is on the road to recovery, which involves taking delicate care of his eye, and weekly check-ups with his ophthalmologists.

“It was painful, but it was worth it, because now I can wake up in the morning and see. It might not be as perfect as it was, but it has been a slow process, and every day I’ve been getting improvement,” Nazeer said.

In addition to Nazeer, four other patients were able to benefit from the transplant this year. It is expected that another five patients will similarly benefit from this type of treatment before the end of this year.

Dr. Sugrim emphasised that beyond patients’ getting to see again, which, in itself, is most welcomed, these patients will eventually be able to return to life as they have been accustomed to, and they can make greater contributions to society at large.