UAE | Health
Sight restored after two-year ordeal
Resident contracted rare fungal infection from contact lens solution.
- By Nina MuslimStaff Reporter
- Published: 23:40 February 25, 2008
- Image Credit:
Dubai: A UAE resident, who lost his left eyesight due to a rare fungal infection contracted from a contact lens solution is on the verge of recovery. Doctors are due to remove the stitches on his third corneal implant next week.
Ahmad Al Abbady, a British-Egyptian banking executive, has had three corneal transplants after he contacted Fusarium keratitis, a rare fungal infection on the cornea, associated with using Bausch and Lomb's Renu MoistureLoc contact lens solution two years ago.
Gulf News highlighted his and two other people's plight in the UAE.
The US company withdrew the product globally after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found evidence the solution's formula created an environment that protected the fungus instead of disinfecting it. The recall came too late for Al Abbady, however, whose ordeal towards recovery was only beginning.
"I was told to get a corneal transplant in mid-June. It was a long wait for a corneal transplant in the UAE so I went to Egypt."
There, he had his first transplant, which was rejected. He had another transplant in August, with similar results.
"My eye turned completely white and I couldn't see," he said.
Doctors told him the Fusarium fungus was still in his eye, which scarred the new cornea. Frustrated, he left Egypt and went to Spain for another transplant. Doctors there refused to transplant a new cornea into his left eye until they were sure the fungus was gone. They started him on medication to kill the fungus. The process took almost a year.
Finally, he had his third and hopefully last corneal transplant in June last year.
"I can see light, I can see my hand, but I can't make out any details. The fungus also destroyed the lens in my eye," he said.
"Next week, I am travelling to Spain again to have the stitches on my corneal transplant removed," he added.
Dr Anwar Sajwani, who was the head of ophthalmology at Dubai Hospital when Al Abbady was admitted two years ago, told Gulf News Al Abbady was close to full recovery if his corneal stitches were being removed. But things will never be completely the same for Al Abbady. He was forced to leave his flat and move his family to a studio to finance his treatment.
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