Tag: Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital

Health

India Needs Four Times More Eye Donors to Support the Annual Demand for 1 Lakh Corneal Transplantations, says Dr. Badri Prasad Dogne

Aug 31, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, #Dr. Badri Prasad Dogne, #Eye donation

Hyderabad: Blindness is a major cause of concern around the world today. In India, an estimated 20 lakh people suffer from blindness caused by damages to the cornea, the clear transparent outer layer of the eye. More than a quarter of the cases of corneal blindness can be resolved if transplantations are done without delay. Just like any other body organ, the cornea of the eye can also be donated after death. “With tens of thousands of corneal blindness cases being added every year to the existing burden, the annual demand for corneal transplantations is on the rise and to meet this dearth, the public needs to be educated on eye donation. On this National Eye Donation Fortnight let us highlight the importance of pledging our eyes,” says, Dr. Badri Prasad Dogne, Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, Hyderabad.

He further adds that Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital offers the unique PDEK procedure where a single donated eye can render vision to two or more people.

Who can donate eyes?

An eye donor can belong to any sex or age. However, there are a few diseases which can restrict the donation of the eyes like AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Rabies, Septicaemia, Acute leukemia (Blood cancer), Tetanus, Cholera, and infectious diseases like Meningitis and Encephalitis.

Dr. Badri Prasad Dogne mentions a few points for public awareness in relation to eye donation.

Eyes can be donated only after death.
Eyes must be removed within 4 – 6 hours after death.
Eyes can be removed by a registered medical practitioner only.
The eye bank team will visit the home of the deceased or the hospital to remove the eyes.
Eye removal does not delay the funeral since the entire procedure takes 20-30 minutes only.
A small quantity of blood will be drawn to rule out communicable diseases.
Eye retrieval does not cause disfigurement.
The identities of both the donor and the recipient are kept confidential.
In relation to eye pledge and eye collection procedures, the eye donation of the deceased has to be authorized by the next of kin even if the deceased has pledged his or her eyes.
Use of spectacles for short sightedness, long sightedness or astigmatism or even those operated for cataract is also not a contraindication.

Enucleation of the Eyes

Eyes are to be enucleated preferably within six to eight hours of death. After enucleation the eyes are sent to eye banks for evaluation and further distribution. The eyes are evaluated by trained technicians as per the international standards. The deserving blind patients are called in accordance with the waiting list. Even emergency cases are dealt with in conformity with the guidelines prescribed.

Importance of Eye Donation

On the importance of eye donation, Dr. Badri Prasad Dogne says, “Due to the little or no awareness, social or religious reservations, and various other reasons eye donation is yet to get its due importance in our country. Various misunderstandings and misbeliefs act as a roadblock for this noble deed.”

He further adds, “Today the number of eye donations made is only about 50,000 per year in India – in other words, eyes are collected only from less than 0.5% of about 1 crore people who die in the country in a year. Therefore, awareness must be created about eye donation. Also, infrastructure such as eye banks and research centers must be increased to facilitate more eye donations.” At times when eye donations cannot be used for transplantation, they are forwarded for research and education. Whole eye research has led to advancements in the understanding of the cause and effects of conditions such as glaucoma, retinal disease, eye complications of diabetes and other sight disorders.

Health, News

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Launches Eye Connect, Free Online Consultations

Jul 26, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Chairman, #Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, #Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Connect, #Dr. Amar Agarwal

Hyderabad: Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, one of India’s largest networks of eyecare centers, has launched Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Connect, a free online consultation platform, making its specialists available for advice on eye conditions, second opinion, and follow-ups for patients across the country. The free consultation will be available till August 15, 2021.

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Connect comes as a boon for patients seeking quality eye care from the comfort of their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients can call (8879129186) or visit https://www.dragarwal.com to book an online consultation with specialists. For online consultation, there is no need to download any app. A computer or mobile phone with a good internet connection and camera is sufficient.

Commenting about Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Connect, Dr. Amar Agarwal, Chairman, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, said that the hospital has lined up its team of senior doctors for the online consultation.

Dr. Agarwal said that it is important for the patients and the public to take extra care of their vision health and seek medical intervention without delay, as COVID-19 and the lifestyle changes – especially the increase in screen time, during the lockdown could harm eye health. COVID-19 infection may lead to the onset of eye conditions such as conjunctivitis, uveitis, artery and vein occlusions, and optic neuritis.

Citing an internal study conducted in 2020, Dr. Agarwal said that the delay in seeking medical interventions during the first wave of the pandemic – due to lockdown restrictions or fear of infection risks, had severely deteriorated the eye conditions of many patients. Hence, without ignoring any eye issue, patients should seek medical intervention at the earliest.

Dr. Agarwal said that the cases of matured cataracts surged from 10% of the total cataract cases in the last quarter of 2019 to over 50% during the same period in 2020. The cases of digital eye strain and dry eyes have also seen a significant rise as a result of excessive exposure to light-emitting digital screens as people adapted to work-from-home and study-from-home scenarios.

Dr. Agarwal urged the public to seek medical care even for minor eye conditions. “No health problem is small enough to be ignored. Telemedicine and online consultations are great options to get the right advice and treatment in many cases. Sometimes a direct visit to the hospital cannot be avoided. In such cases, people should choose an eye hospital where all safety precautions are being implemented and make visits while strictly following the COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing masks, and social distancing,” he cautioned.

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Connect can be used by people who seek preliminary eye checkups, second opinions, and follow-ups of eye treatments to keep themselves away from severe eye issues.

Health

Five-fold increase in cases of advanced cataract and dry eyes during the pandemic

Apr 16, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, #Dr. Gaurav Arora, #Regional Medical Director - Telangana

Hyderabad, 16 April 2021: The pandemic significantly worsened the severity of most eye conditions in people, with an increased number of patients suffering from advanced cataracts, eye infections, severe dry eyes (digital eye strain), and even corneal graft rejection, according to the doctors of Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital. The worst impact was seen in cases of advanced cataracts and dry eyes, all resulting from delayed treatment or loss of work-life balance due to working from home.

Giving statistics comparing the pre and post-pandemic situation, Dr. Gaurav Arora, Regional Medical Director – Telangana, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital said, “In the last quarter of 2019, less than 10 percent of all cataract patients coming to our hospital were suffering from advanced cataract. In the last quarter of 2020, this figure jumped to 50%, a five-fold increase. The cases of dry eyes due to digital eye strain similarly jumped from 10% to 30-50% over the same period. We noticed worsening of existing cases of glaucoma in many patients as they hesitated to come for regular follow-ups. There were also complications in previous corneal transplant patients such as rejection of cornea and high eye pressure. People with diabetes ignored their period eye check-ups during the pandemic period, leading to severe complications in their retina.”

Dr. Bhanu Prakash, Sr. Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital highlighted some examples of eye patients suffering from increased morbidity due to delay in seeking treatment. 

Case 1 – An old person who delayed his cataract surgery after a few months suffered high eye pressure and partial loss of vision. 

Case 2 – An elderly woman’s poor overall health condition led to bilateral corneal infection and eventual loss of vision in both eyes. 

Case 3 – A patient with vision only in one eye had a cornea transplant done earlier. He developed an eye infection and could not see an eye doctor due to the lockdown. He is now blind in both eyes and awaiting a repeat cornea transplant. 

Case 4 – A young woman who had earlier undergone corneal transplant develop graft rejection and graft failure due to lack of timely eye treatment.

According to Dr. Gaurav Arora of Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, Conjunctivitis is the most common manifestation and can develop at any stage of the disease. Direct effect due to virus, immune-mediated tissue damage, activation of the coagulation cascade and prothrombotic state induced by the viral infection, the associated comorbidities, and drugs used in the management are responsible for the findings in the eye. Covid eye connection can be either directly related to the covid infection and its treatment or to the indirect effect of working from home. We believe the direct effects of COVID infection on the eye can be in the form of rare eye problems like Conjunctivitis, Keratoconjunctivitis, Blepharitis, Retinal microvascular problems like vein occlusions, cotton wool spots, Neuro-Ophthalmic complications – Nerve paresis/optic neuritis and other rare problems in ICU admitted patients – corneal infections, ischemic optic neuropathy, Valsalva retinopathy, acute angle-closure glaucoma, endogenous endophthalmitis, orbital fungal infections. Some rare eye problems may also arise from the drugs used to treat corona virus-like anti-malarial, immunomodulators, anti-virals, etc.

 “During the last few months, we have also been seeing an increasing number of people with digital eye strain and dry eyes, which are stemming from excessive use of gadgets and loss of work-life balance. In the early phases of the lockdown, we also saw a few patients with conjunctivitis and others with retinal vascular blockage. They were later confirmed to be corona positive,” added Dr. Bhanu Prakash.

 The medical experts of Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital explained that the patients were worried about contracting coronavirus if they visit the hospitals. This fear was very strong in the early phases of the pandemic. As a result, the treatment of patients got impacted in a big way. Most people with pre-existing eye problems did not go for regular follow-ups, leading to aggravation of their existing eye problems. Others with new eye problems waited to consult the doctors which led to serious consequences, including loss of vision. Even the patients who took teleconsultations wanted all the solutions remotely and there was a strong unwillingness to come to the hospital for physical eye check-ups and investigations even when it was deemed necessary.

 Suggesting better care for the eyesight, Dr. Gaurav Arora said, “Diabetic patients above 50 years old need to get their eyes screened at least once a year by an ophthalmologist, as over 30% of these patients end up developing some form of diabetic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, cataract, and glaucoma. And about 10% of the patients who are diagnosed with diabetic eye disease get vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy. Talking about the examinations, he said that when diabetic patients visit an eye doctor, they may have to undergo examinations such as vision check along with spectacle power, measurement of intraocular pressure, and retinal evaluation. The doctor can suggest blood tests and relevant eye scans. When diabetic eye disease is diagnosed, investigations like fluorescein fundus angiography, optical coherence tomography, and B scan ultrasonography are recommended, depending on the stage of the disease. These scans are essential to stage the disease, plan treatment and monitor the progression of the disease.

Dr. Bhanu Prakash also said that no health problem is too small that merits neglect in the pandemic times. To begin with, teleconsultation is a great option and, in many cases, should be enough to get the right advice and treatment. Sometimes the doctor will advise consulting in person but that is the time when not doing anything can aggravate a minor eye problem to a more serious one. Take all precautions with face mask, hand sanitization, social distancing and choose an eye hospital where all safety precautions are being implemented.

Health, News

“With 12 Million Known and Over 90% Undiagnosed Cases, India May House World’s Largest Number of Glaucoma Patients”: Expert

Mar 14, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, #Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi, #World Glaucoma Week 2021

Hyderabad: “India can easily be the world’s capital of glaucoma, a group of eye disorders that leads to irreversible blindness, with the disease affecting 12 million people, and remaining undiagnosed in over 90% of the cases. Increasing population of senior citizens, diabetics and people with refractive errors, the known potential risk factors, are set to make glaucoma a rapidly emerging non-communicable ocular disease in the country, which already houses 20% of the world’s blind,” said Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi, Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, India’s largest chain of eye hospitals.

He added that there are no known measures to prevent glaucoma. The only way to prevent blindness from glaucoma, which shows no symptoms in the early stage, is early diagnosis and treatment that could halt the progression of this silent thief of sight.

In a press release, issued in connection with the World Glaucoma Week 2021, being observed from March 7-13, 2021, Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi said that nearly 40 million people in India, including 1.6 million children, are blind or visually impaired. Next to cataracts, and untreated refractive errors, glaucoma is the third leading cause of blindness in India. However, glaucoma is more complex and dangerous as the sight loss caused by it is progressive and, unlike cataract, is irreversible. Glaucoma is both under-diagnosed and under-treated. It occurs when the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure) increases. The pressure is normal so long as the rate of production of aqueous humor, the clear liquid inside the front part of eyes, matches the rate of its drainage. However, when the channels carrying this fluid get blocked, the pressure inside the eye increases. This increased pressure damages the optic nerve, which passes the visual messages to the brain.

Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi said that there are two major types of glaucoma: open angle glaucoma, and close angle glaucoma. Open angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma. It accounts for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases. It progresses very slowly and the patient may not feel any loss of vision until it affects the central vision. This results in permanent damage if the patient does not get an eye check-up.

Glaucoma can strike one at any age – it is reported that people have about 2.3% lifetime risk of glaucoma. However, those who are over 40 years, and who have a family history of glaucoma, and diabetics, and people with refractive errors and those who take steroid medications, eye drops, pills, inhalers, and skin creams are considered at risk populations. They should screen for glaucoma, every year.

Dr. Syed Asghar Hussain Naqvi said that when diagnosed early, glaucoma can be treated effectively to avoid or minimize vision loss. Diagnosis is divided into two categories: clinical examination and diagnostic testing. Clinical examination involves the assessment of the eye with specialised equipment such as slit lamp biomicroscopy, tonometer, and gonioscopy. Diagnostic tests include perimetry, pachymetry, photography of the optic nerve head, optical coherence tomography, scanning laser polarimetry and confocal laser scanning ophthalmoscope.

Since intraocular pressure is the only modifiable factor in glaucoma, treatment modalities revolve around normalisation of this pressure. Types of treatment can be medical (eye drops, tablets ) laser therapy (aimed at opening of blocked channels) and surgical (aimed at the creation of new channels for draining the fluids inside the eye). Surgical correction also includes a variety of devices that can be placed to help with the drainage from the eye.

The main objective of World Glaucoma Week is to eliminate glaucoma blindness by motivating people to have regular eye check up, including optic nerve examination. The 2021 theme is “The world is bright, save your sight!” It reflects the hope that with regular testing, people continue to see the world around us: full of beauty, charm, and adventure.

Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, through its network of hospitals, is creating awareness among the public that clinical examination is the only way to catch glaucoma and early detection and treatment will prevent vision loss. And with prompt attention from the patients and with contribution from the primary care physicians and prompt referrals to the ophthalmologist, glaucoma can be controlled and kept in check.