Latest update January 8th, 2025 4:30 AM
Latest News
- ‘Our Stabroek Block estimate is higher than Exxon’s 11B barrels figure’ – Hess CEO
- Exxon to focus on exploring and appraising more of Stabroek Block before licence expires in 2027 – Routledge
- ‘All hell will break out’ if Gaza hostages aren’t released’—Trump warns
- Chinese company sitting on US$16B worth of gold at Guyana’s Aurora Gold Mine
- Guyana records 60% increase in workplace deaths in 2024 – Labour Minister
Three benefit from corneal transplant at GPHC
History was made in Guyana yesterday when corneal transplantation also known as corneal grafting was introduced for the first time at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The intricate surgical procedure was spearheaded by visiting Corneal Specialist, Chad Rostron, from the Moorfields Hospital in the United Kingdom.
Three patients, 37-year-old Gary Gonsalves of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and 41-year-old Mark Baird of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, both farmers by profession, and 41-year-old Joel Franklin of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, were operated on as part of the inaugural move. The latter is attached to the Uitvlugt Estate as a cane harvester.
Though they were not completely blind, each patient had limited vision in one eye. The procedure was characterised by a process of transplanting corneal tissue from deceased individuals. The Corneal Specialist had previously screened about 20 patients, including children. However, none of the children was chosen to be operated on.
Head of the GPHC Ophthalmology Department, Dr George Norton, shared in the experience yesterday and revealed that all three of the patients were selected due to the fact that they had at some point of their life suffered corneal trauma.
In the instance of Franklin, Dr Norton disclosed that it was due to his exposure to ‘cane trash’ that he suffered a corneal ulcer. “We treated him and we got him so-called cured, but there was permanent damage to his eye and he like the others would have had to live their lives with this problem if they hadn’t this operation.”
Dr George Norton stands besides two of the patients, Mark Baird and Joel Franklin
The operations were without incident, Dr Norton boasted, and they were painless, according to the reports offered by the patients. They were all discharged shortly after their operations each of which lasted for no more than two hours.
“I had actually participated in such surgeries before, so I am quite familiar with it… What I am happy about is that it is the first time it is happening here in Guyana,” Dr Norton noted. The procedures were witnessed by staff and medical students and served as a teaching session, he added. It is anticipated that another batch of patients will be screened before the Corneal Specialist departs these shores in a matter of days. The patients will receive follow-up treatment from Dr Norton.
BLIND YEARS
It is the opinion of Dr Norton that it could have been an even greater accomplishment if the Corneal Specialist could have attended to some of the children screened.
“I would have particularly liked him to work with the little children. In ophthalmology we talk about blind years and they would be suffering for so many years and this could have been an opportunity to correct that.”
Several of the children who were screened, he said, had travelled from as far as Port Kaituma in Region One, Kopinang in Region Eight and Lethem in Region Nine.
But though the move marks a giant leap for ophthalmology service, it may very well be a one-off occurrence, as according to Dr Norton “even though we would like that to happen we haven’t reached that stage as yet. Those that received the operation, they were just lucky. It is fortunate that they are young adults in full faculty of life and they will enjoy good vision after this.”
However he is optimistic that if Guyana could procure the needed materials and instruments to undertake the procedure, particularly the donor tissue, it is an operation that could be undertaken on a regular basis at GPHC.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The Horse Racing Authority Bill will solve nothing!
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Horse Racing Authority Bill of 2024, though ostensibly aimed at regulating horse racing... more
Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Weekend Cartoon
