Symblephron Surgery Treatment in India

Aditya Kumar, a 28-year-old software engineer...

Aditya Kumar, a 28-year-old software engineer from Pune, had his life upended by a chemical splash accident at a local festival two years prior. The alkali burn caused severe damage to his right eye, leading to the development of a symblepharon, a band of scar tissue that fused his eyelid to his eyeball. His symptoms were debilitating: constant dryness and a gritty sensation, severe photophobia that forced him to wear dark glasses indoors, and a limited, painful range of eye movement that caused double vision. His vision in that eye was a blurry 20/200. After months of managing with lubricating gels and a scleral contact lens that provided little relief, his ophthalmologist, Dr. Mehta, recommended symblepharon surgery. The procedure involved carefully dissecting the scar tissue, placing a special amniotic membrane graft to act as a biological bandage and prevent re-adhesion, and inserting a conformer shell. The surgery itself was anxiety-inducing but painless under local anesthesia. The initial recovery was uncomfortable, with swelling and a foreign body sensation, requiring diligent use of antibiotic and steroid drops. Over six weeks, the graft integrated, and the conformer was removed. The outcome was transformative: his eyelid moved freely again, the dryness was significantly reduced, and his vision improved to 20/60. Emotionally, Aditya journeyed from a place of frustration and depression, feeling his career and social life were stalled, to one of profound relief and optimism. He felt he had regained not just sight, but a part of his future.