While other kids her age were busy playing and running around, Pari Kumar mostly sat in a corner, barely able to see due to drooping eyelids. Afflicted with a condition called blepharophimosis, the four-year-old’s vision was severely hampered.
With Pakistan lacking the medical expertise to correct her condition, her father Santok Kumar was at wit’s end to find a solution, till he heard of a surgical option available in India. Mr. Kumar, a trader by profession, contacted Indian doctors and travelled to Apollo Spectra in Chembur for an examination by plastic surgeon Dr. Debraj Shome.
Dr Shome suggested a surgery, but the Kumars were in India on a seven-day visa and decided to return home to Kashmore district in Pakistan’s Sindh province to think it over. “We were constantly in touch. The family finally decided they would go for a surgery, but had a tough time getting a medical visa,” said Dr Shome. Finally, in September this year, their visa was approved.
Pari’s condition is a genetic disorder inherited from her father, and her elder sister too suffers from it, Dr. Shome said. However, they have managed to get by without surgery as their condition wasn’t as severe as Pari’s. “This girl barely had any vision. To put it in another way, she was almost blind. Due to this, she couldn’t even walk to the washroom on her own. She required assistance all the time.”
Returning vision
Due to the disorder, Pari had narrow eyes and very small upper eyelids. The drooping was also severe, and compromised her vision. First, Dr. Shome had to carry out a procedure to widen the eyes. To do this, a transnasal wiring process was carried out by passing a wire through the upper part of the nose, which pulled the eyes closer to the nose.
For the drooping eyelids, he used a silicon rod incubation set. “The rod is inserted through the forehead towards the eye, and the eyelid is pulled up with its help,” Dr. Shome said. After the procedure, the patient was kept under observation for four weeks. Though the family had returned to Pakistan, he followed up with Pari through pictures.
Experts say the disorder is not uncommon but in many cases, but without intervention, those afflicted risk losing vision completely in many cases. Dr. Ragini Parekh, an eye surgeon who practices at the State-run JJ Hospital, said these patients need medical expertise for restoring vision and a better cosmetic result. “In some cases, only an eye surgeon is enough, but most cases need ocular and plastic surgeons.”