Unique cataract surgery helps restore vision

Sugandha Trilotkar proudly walked out of her Chembur home wearing a crisp maroon sari with a matching blouse and bindi on Thursday.

Sugandha Trilotkar proudly walked out of her Chembur home wearing a crisp maroon sari with a matching blouse and bindi on Thursday.

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“I had been wearing mis-matched blouses as I could not see for the past 10 years,” she said.

Cataract had completely clouded vision in Trilotkar’s right eye and partially in her left. In 2000, she had gone for a cataract surgery but it had to be called off as she suffered a cardiac arrest the moment the doctor injected anaesthesia under her eye.

Tests revealed that she was allergic to most anaesthesia medicines. A unique procedure came to her rescue. Dr Tripti Mongia recently performed cataract surgeries on Trilotkar’s eyes without using local anaesthesia at Aryan Hospital in Kurla. “I asked her to start putting drops containing a pain-relieving agent a few days before the surgery and also applied xylocaine jelly,” she said.

Xylocaine jelly is used in gynaecological procedures. Dr Mongia said it had proved effective for eye surgeries. She has conducted 100-odd cataract surgeries without anaesthesia, using laser beams to destroy the cataract.

Trilotkar has nearly perfect vision now. “I don’t mix up the spices while cooking now,” she said.