Eyes are among the most vital organs of the human body, and maintaining their health is crucial for a good quality of life. In this Face to Face feature, we speak with Dr Shubhangi Deshmukh Giradkar, a distinguished Ophthalmologist from the region, about the importance of eye care and the various aspects of maintaining good vision.

 

Dr Shubhangi, who hails from a humble background in Sewagram and Nagpur, Maharashtra, has risen to prominence in her field through dedication and expertise. In a candid conversation with Rajveer Saran Das, she shares invaluable tips and insights on how to preserve and nurture our eyesight.

 

Excerpts: Q. Dr Shubhangi, do tell our readers about your professional credentials? A. I have done my MBBS from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sewagram. Thereafter, I did my Masters in Ophthalmology from the same Medical college. Subsequently, I was offered a long term Fellowship in Glaucoma and Cataract from the Suraj Eye Institute in Nagpur under the guidance of Dr Vinay Nangia who is an FRCS and thereafter I obtained my second super specialised training in Phacoemulsification Cataract surgery at Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore. I have also performed around 15,000 successful Cataract surgeries till date. So far, I have attained 18 years experience after my MS including 12 years experience in conducting almost 3,500 successful Glaucoma surgeries. I was also awarded Fellowship in Phacoemulsification Cataract surgery.

 

Many of our readers are actually unaware about Glaucoma.

 Q. What exactly is glaucoma? A. Glaucoma is a disease of the eyes wherein the optic nerve undergoes damage resulting in blindness. If not attended to in time, it can lead to blindness which is mostly irreversible. 

 

Q. How can we diagnose it? A. The disease is discovered during a routine eye check up by an eye specialist who has the requisite experience of many years.

 

Q. During the eye examination, if an individual is suspected to to have glaucoma, what test is prescribed? A. Once suspect, the eye specialist will suggest essential tests like Goldmann Applanation Tonometry, automated Perimetry, posterior segment (Optic nerve and retinal ) digital imaging like fundus photography and optical coherence tomography, Pachymetry etc. These tests confirm whether the individual has glaucoma or not.

 

Q. Once the diagnosis is confirmed how do we treat glaucoma? A. We have various eye drops, certain laser procedures and surgeries for glaucoma depending upon the stage of glaucoma. The eye specialist is the right person to decide whether one needs medical therapy or lasers or surgical therapy

 

 

Q. Who are at risk to develop glaucoma? A. Individuals who have family history of glaucoma like premature loss of vision from paternal or maternal side, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, hypothyroidism, migraine, with a combination of any two or three, have a high risk of development of glaucoma. Children of glaucoma patients are at high risk and should undergo regular eye checkup by a reputed Opthalmologist. 

 

Q. What is the right age to get an eye checkup to avoid glaucoma? A. Although regular eye checkup for children is advised, but every individual above 30 years of age should undergo measurement of pressure inside an eye (intraocular pressure) by Goldmann applanation tonometer.

 

Q. What is the most accurate instrument for measurement of pressure inside an eye? A. Goldmann Applanation Tonometer is the most reliable way to measure the pressure. Other instruments are also available like NCT or a Non Contact Tonometer and Schiotz Tonometer, which are less reliable and chances of missing glaucoma are more. All patients must undergo thorough eye evaluation including dilated posterior segment evaluation on a routine basis. 

 

Q. Are there any warning signals to know whether an individual suffers from the disease? A. Sometimes the person feels a vague pain or discomfort in their eyes, rainbow colored halos around a light source, redness, frequent change in glass number, bumping into objects, some intelligent patients notice part of the vision that’s missing or a hole in the vision. Some patients never have any complaints. Hence it is missed.

 

Q. Can we regain the lost vision like in cataract? A. No , whatever vision is lost can never be regained back, if the patient is too late to see a doctor. But the doctor can start the treatment and slow the progression of the blindness. Patients on regular treatment and follow up are less likely to lose their vision further.

 

Q. Is there any hope for patients who have lost vision completely in both eyes due to glaucoma? A. (Smiles) Scientists expect that the world would probably have a “bionic eye” in the near future. In this technology, an artificial eye with an in-built CCTV camera is connected wirelessly to the occipital lobes of the brain to see. Presently it under trial on human volunteers - after all, there is always a silver lining to a cloud!