- Ophthalmologist performs a simple but rare procedure on a new born child to cure Peters Anomaly and prevent blindness
- Pupilloplasty, a more effective treatment to Peters Anomaly, a blinding condition, is carried out at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, with a higher chance of success.
Dubai, UAE: A newborn baby from Oman was brought to AZHD, due to regressing eyesight, looking for a corneal transplant. At just 2 months of age, it was found that the baby was suffering from Peters Anomaly, a congenital defect that causes an opaque area in the center of the cornea and furthermore quickly leads to blindness.
Peters Anomaly is a rare eye condition, affecting every 1 in 1 million people. The condition is caused by genes that affect the embryonic development of the eye, with the side effects including blurred vision, glaucoma, cataract, and possible blindness. In addition, the treatment preferred is typically a corneal transplant and is usually initiated from an early age of 2 months up to 2 years.
Typically, when a child has Peters Anomaly with bilateral opacity, a penetrating keratoplasty, which is a type of corneal transplant, is performed to clear up and improve their vision. This procedure comes with several complications and is specially challenging for children, leading to graft failure in most cases. In addition, most cases require revision surgeries and experience multiple side effects including glaucoma and blurred vision.
The newborn baby was treated by Dr. Sandip Mitra a Specialist Ophthalmologist with more than 20 years of experience in the UAE practicing at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai. After a detailed exam, the baby was diagnosed with Peters Anomaly with Bilateral Corneal Opacity. Dr. Mitra is a highly skilled Specialist Ophthalmologist, with extensive experience and throughout his years of practice, he has performed approximately 10,000 corneal grafts.
The common treating procedure in dealing with Peters Anomaly is corneal transplants. Due to the procedure’s complications and challenges, Dr. Mitra decided to perform a simple procedure called Pupilloplasty, to manage the new born’s condition. Pupilloplasty is a surgical procedure, performed on the iris to adjust the shape or function of the pupil. According to Dr. Mitra, Pupilloplasty is the most suitable procedure for such cases because it prevents post-operative complications and allows the access of light into the eye.
Once the procedure was completed, the child immediately recovered with adequate eye sight, gaining the ability to recognize the parents for the first time. Choosing a different route allowed the child to avoid major surgeries and to improve vision significantly.
“The Pupilloplasty is a smart choice that opens the opportunity for other patients of Peters Anomaly to undergo a simpler procedure with a higher rate of success. Moreover, numerous children suffering from Peters Anomaly can avoid going through multiple revision surgeries and can find an effective treatment at an early age, allowing them to develop normally. The corneal transplant can then be done when the child becomes an adult, usually at the age of 18, when the chances of success are much higher and the benefits much bigger.” – Dr. Sandip Mitra, Specialist Ophthalmologist, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.
Boiler Plate – Al Zahra Hospital Dubai:
Al Zahra Hospital Dubai – is a leading healthcare provider in the UAE and a milestone in the country’s healthcare sector, with the brand breaking ground in 1975, as the first private healthcare provider. The hospital is located in Dubai, on Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha, catering to local and international patients with over 250 Doctors and more than 40 medical specialties. Accredited by the Joint Commission International, the hospital holds various distinguished credentials, with centers of excellence in ACL and Rotator CUFF injuries.
Dedicated to delivering world class healthcare, the hospital is a leader in implementing technological advancements and medical practices, housing the region’s first advanced 3 Tesla MRI & the first private Hyperbaric Oxygenation Chamber. In 2016, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai was the first hospital to introduce water birthing followed by the first hospital to adopt the Versius Surgical Robotics System in 2021.
In 2020, the hospital received two JCI accreditations for the Breast Cancer and Heart Attack centers.
Some of the most sought-after services at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai include- Cardiology, Oncology, Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Spine Surgery, Joint Replacement, Interventional Medicine, Maternity, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Internal Medicine & more.
