Klaipeda resident almost went blind after accident at work: now Vladas has a message for doctors

At the time, Vladas was working as a security guard in a Klaipeda company. There, according to the man, there were containers in which various sawdust was transported and loaded onto ships.

“I was standing at the door that day. Around 2004. I don’t know who was there, but a ball of dust flew towards me and I rubbed my eyes. Washed under running water, as if nothing. But then I felt something was wrong, Vlad said.

– I went to the doctor, but after examining him he told me that nothing was wrong and prescribed medication, as if he had improved again, but not for long. After that, my wife advised me to go to another hospital. That ‘s what I did. The doctor who visited me told me that my cornea was damaged and that I needed to go to the hospital. “

However, at that time, as the Klaipėda resident recalls, the hospital refused to go to the hospital because he had a job. So he was treated with medication until his vision severely deteriorated again. Vlad agreed to go to the hospital and was diagnosed with keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea.

“Later I received a referral to the Santara clinics. They examined me and told me that I needed a corneal transplant and that the turn to get it was 3 years. I spent all that time, but nothing came up. Then I stopped salmon for another year, but my health didn’t improve, it just got worse. After a while, I got back in line. A year later they called me from the Kaunas clinics and they told me there was a cornea. I came, they hospitalized me, they operated on me in 2018, ”said the interlocutor.

After a while, Vlad also underwent surgery on his left eye, so in February 2020, he also had a second eye operated.

Now the man does not hide his joy and keeps repeating the same word: thank you.

“I am very happy that a donor has appeared so that there is more. My sincere thanks to the family members who allowed me to donate the corneas. I was a blind person, I saw almost nothing, I only saw a little with one eye. But even with that second eye I only saw 0.01, Vlad recalled.

– Now I see with both eyes. The miracles were performed by a doctor. And thanks to all the medical staff, they all took good care of me, they were very kind, I bow my head.

The third most common cause of blindness.

Head of the Eye Disease Clinic of the Kaunas Clinics of the LSMU Hospital prof. Reda Žemaitienė, who operated on Vlad, told more about the corneal transplant operation.

According to the doctor, corneal blindness is the third most common cause of blindness in the world, requiring a corneal or corneal transplant, that is, a corneal transplant. Corneal transplantation or keratoplasty is one of the oldest, most often performed and considered the most successful area for tissue or organ transplantation. Almost 200 thousand. corneal transplants.

According to the professor, a corneal transplant is an operation in which the altered corneal tissue of a patient, that is, the recipient, is replaced by healthy tissue from the donor cornea of ​​a deceased person.

“The first successful corneal transplant for humans was performed in 1905, when Eduardas Zirmas performed a perforated corneal transplant on a 45-year-old man who had suffered a chemical burn of both eyes with lime. The first corneal transplant operation in Lithuania was performed in 1974 at the Eye Disease Clinic of the Kaunas Clinics of the Health Sciences Hospital of the University of Lithuania, ”said prof. Reda Žemaitienė.

The lack of corneas is enormous

The cornea is a transparent fibrous covering in front of the eye that performs a protective function and transmits and refracts light rays. When the cornea is cloudy, the light is scattered and cannot reach the retina, causing the person to complain of vision problems or total loss of vision. Therefore, the most common indication for corneal transplantation surgery is restoration of corneal transparency and visual acuity.

“The most common diseases that cause keratoplasty are: Fuchs endothelial dystrophy, keratopathy after cataract surgery, keratoconus, complications of corneal infections and others when other treatments are not effective. Sometimes the cornea has to be transplanted urgently. This occurs more frequently in cases of inflammation of infectious or immunological origin of the cornea, when the effect is not obtained with drug treatment, thinning of the cornea and the threat of corneal perforation or sudden corneal perforation ”, explained the doctor of the Kaunas clinics.

Unfortunately, there are still very few donor corneas in the world. According to the professor, according to the 2012-2013 world epidemiological survey, 134 countries covering 91% of the population, approximately 12.7 million patients await corneal transplants, with a median waiting time of 6.5 months.

One corneal donor for every 70 patients requiring corneal transplant surgery. It is estimated that about 53 percent. corneal transplantation is not available in the world population. In Lithuania around 40-50 corneal transplantation operations are performed per year and this number is not enough. The number of patients waiting for a donor cornea is not decreasing: more than 100 patients remain. The main problem is the lack of donor corneas.

“Cornea donation is a complex process that faces social, ethical and legal factors. In the world, modern corneal donation laws are defined in two ways: those who choose to become donors must give their prior consent, or all people who have not given up are included in the donor list (without opposing the donors). relatives after death). It is notable that in the countries that have opted for the latter option (e.g. Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria), donor corneas are received more frequently, but the law is not the main factor determining the popularity of the donation ”, said prof. R. Žemaitienė.

Fear of losing bodily integrity, religious beliefs, and lack of information can have an impact on corneal donation. For example, families who agree to transplant multiple other organs reject corneal donation.

“According to a survey conducted in the United States, 49 percent. Respondents had favorable intentions to donate organs, but up to 33 percent. Instructed to refuse removal of the eyes or their structures after death. The reasons to refuse to donate corneas are related to psychological aspects, discomfort caused by thinking about the eyes or eye cuts, distortion of the facial structure and physical image. Lack of information, insufficient communication with relatives can also have a significant impact on the self-determination, ”said the doctor.

In Lithuania, the cornea can be used for transplantation if the person from whom it is obtained has expressed a willingness to allow organ donation with a donor card or their relatives agree to allow the use of a donor cornea.

The most successful field of transplantology

The prognosis for better vision after corneal transplantation is influenced by comorbidities such as glaucoma and retinal diseases. As with any surgical intervention, this surgery can be accompanied by certain surgical and postoperative complications. Although corneal transplantation is the most successful field of transplantology, after a corneal transplant operation, at least one episode of graft rejection occurs in up to 20-30 percent. cases, usually in the first five years after surgery.

Significantly fewer transplant rejection reactions are seen after layered keratoplasty because less corneal tissue is transplanted. In addition, after layered keratoplasty, patients have a shorter rehabilitation period and faster visual recovery, less postoperative astigmatism, fewer other surgical and postoperative complications, and greater resistance of the eyeball to surgery.

After layered keratoplasty, the patient feels similar to after cataract surgery: the operated eye does not hurt, does not branch, is not afraid of light. It is recommended that the patient follow a certain regimen for only two days after the operation. The cooperation of the patient with the doctor is always important for the result of the operation. It is important to visit your ophthalmologist regularly to assess your corneal condition and adjust your treatment.