M A I N   N E W S

Hope shines for UP acid attack victim, docs restore vision
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 13
There is now hope for acid attack victims who face the prospect of total blindness due to severe burn injuries in their eyes. Doctors at a multispecialty hospital in Delhi have restored the vision of a 23-year-old Muzaffarnagar schoolteacher, who suffered acid burns, by using the innermost layer of the human placenta as a dressing for the injured portion of her eye.

The procedure called “Amniotic Membrane Transplant” (AMT) was performed on the girl who came at Sir Gangaram Hospital (SGRH) on April 2.

The attack had damaged the surface lining (epithelium) of the eye so much that blood supply to nearly two-third area around the cornea was lost. It had to be restored immediately to prevent opacification (hazing) of cornea and consequently total loss of vision

Dr AK Grover, chairman, opthalmology, SGRH, told The Tribune: “The eye’s condition was desperate with nearly total loss of surface epithelium and loss of blood supply to nearly two third area around the cornea. Vision was limited. The challenge was to restore the blood supply and we decided to perform AMT which has traditionally been used to heal eye scars and loss of mucosa.”

The expert said AMT in cases of burn victims was relatively new and offered hope to other victims as results from the procedure were far better than those from conservative methods.

Amniotic membrane (amnion) is the innermost layer of the placenta and has been used for a while as a graft or dressing in surgical subspecialties of ophthalmology. This wonder tissue from the placenta works as a bandage for cornea infections and reconstructs the ocular surface, reduces inflammation and heals the chemically injured part.

Wonder tissue

• The vision of 23-year-old girl was restored by using the innermost layer of the human placenta as a dressing for the injured portion of her eye
• Amniotic membrane (amnion), the innermost layer of the placenta, has been used for a while as a graft or dressing in surgical subspecialties of ophthalmology
• This wonder tissue from the placenta works as a bandage for cornea infections and reconstructs the ocular surface, reduces inflammation and heals the chemically injured part.