After Being Sightless For Five Years Due To Papilloedema, A 38-Year-Old Woman Gets Her Vision Back

Mumbai, September 7 2022: Dipika Patil, 38 years of age and a resident of Dombivli, had lost all hopes after she was diagnosed with Chronic Papilloedema, a condition with unexplained rise in the intracranial pressure which increases fluids in the brain tissue. In this condition, the optic nerves connecting the eye to the brain gets damaged, leading to impaired vision. Dipika had lost her vision, until she visited Fortis Hospital, Vashi where a team of doctors - Dr Harshavardhan Ghorpade, Consultant Cornea, Ocular Surface and Refractive surgeries along with Dr Sunil Moreker, Consultant Oculoplasty and Glaucoma treated her.

Patient Dipika had visited multiple ophthalmologists as she had a blurry vision and was gradually losing her eyesight. Most of the doctors informed her, that her vision could not be corrected with the help of glasses or lenses as the damage was on the optic nerve. The doctors at other hospital suggested that the medical treatments to reduce the intracranial pressure, would temporarily ease the pressure on her optic nerves. Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure exerted by fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inside the skull and on the brain tissue.

However, the medical treatment being taken at the other hospital to reduce the Intracranial Pressure had severe side effects leading to acidity and weakness along with reduced kidney function which deteriorated her health further affecting the day to day life. Thus, she stopped taking the medications which further damaged the optic nerves leading to 95 per cent loss of vision. Owing to deteriorating health and loss of vision, it became difficult for her to perform her daily activities, and she couldn't even take care of her 10-year-old daughter.

Dr Harshvardhan Ghorpade, Consultant Ophthalmology at Fortis Hospital Vashi, said, "Papilledema, due to Idiopathic intracranial hypertension mostly affects middle-aged people in the age group 25 - 45 years. The condition can be due to various factors - hormonal changes, side effects of medications, formation of certain deposits in the brain, obesity etc. In such cases, patients usually experience symptoms like headaches, blurry vision and vomiting that might get severe with each passing day."

Dr Ghorpade added, "The patient in this case suffered from severe intermittent headaches. We had the option of performing neurosurgery where the brain and abdomen is connected through shunt tubes to relieve pressure, but since it is a complex procedure and results are not certain, we opted for transconjunctival optic nerve fenestration surgery. In this procedure, we approach the nerves directly from the face's front side, i.e. the eye reaching out directly to the optic nerve. Then we make an opening in the nerves, which helps create a space for the fluid to flow, eventually easing the intracranial pressure. Thus, helping the patient to regain their vision and relieve the headaches too."

Dipika was discharged on the same day of the surgery. Post the procedure, her headaches ceased, and she even started regaining her vision back from the very next day. Follow-up medical evaluation revealed that the optic nerve swelling had reduced significantly. The patient’s vision has improved with a visibility of three meters and she can even identify faces now.

Patient Dipika Patil said, "I had lost all hope of regaining my eyesight and leading a normal life. Post-surgery, I could finally see my husband, daughter after five years. The moment I could see their faces, which in the last five years were just a blur figure for me, my joy knew no bounds. I am grateful to the doctors at Fortis Vashi who gave me a second life by providing the right treatment"

The patient will continue with the post-operative check-ups as the vision will improve in the next three months. Transconjunctival optic nerve fenestration surgery is a minimal invasive procedure for idiopathic intracranial hypertension and papilledema, to regain lost vision.