17 years later woman gets vision back in rare surgery

Mumbai: After almost two decades of darkness, the future is looking bright for 35-year-old Jai Khmakar. Ms Khmakar had lost her vision to Stevens Johnson syndrome, a condition that results in loss of vision due to adverse drug reaction. However, in a rare transplantation, doctors were able to restore her eyesight, despite the condition being non-treatable in most cases.

The syndrome occurs when one consumes drugs belonging to a few chemical families.

Blisters, similar to burn injuries, develop on the skin and spread to the other parts of the body, leading to loss of vision in severe cases. In Ms Khmakar’s case, the condition was severe, and she had lost her vision in the right eye. Such severe cases occur in only one out of lakh people.

She had developed the syndrome after consuming drugs from an unknown family in 1998 when she was in her early 20’s. Doctors in Vision Eye Care came up with an innovated technology to overcome the limitations in this case. The clinic has become first in Maharashtra and the third in the country to perform such a rare surgery.

Mrs Jai Khmakar regained near normal vision within two days following the second surgery. As soon she got back her vision, she saw her little daughter whom she had not seen since her birth.

“It’s an ubleievable feeling, as I was sure I would never be able to see again,” said Ms Khmakar.