First eye implant conducted in Uganda

HEALTH

Ugandans patients often fly out of the country to India and USA among others countries to seek medical attention for various ailments including rehabilitation for some accident cases.

This usually comes with exorbitant costs that many can hardly afford and so often give up and leave with their otherwise correctable situations.

However, this was not the case with lucky 12-year-old primary six Alvin Kabuye who benefited from the first ever eye implant in Uganda.

The boy, who can see again after three surgeries on his left eye which was pierced by pieces of broken soda bottle, was successfully given a new lens after three operations conducted by doctor Akbar Saleem at Agarwal Hospital in Kampala.

While celebrating end of second term, Kabuye broke a bottle which pierced his eye tearing the corneoscleral in his eye and thus causing trauma to the crystalline lens.

Not even his father Elly Kakande, who is also a medical doctor, could help the situation. Kakande was helpless until he was directed to Akbar Saleem, an ophthalmologist.

 
According to Saleem, he conducted corneoscleral repair together with lensectomy, anterior vitrectomy and glued it using IOL technique, the IOL fixation.

Kakande said that the procedure of the three surgeries cost him and his friends a total of sh20m.

"The surgery was expensive but worth the investment because you cannot equate what the doctors have done to any amount of money. I'm happy because my child now sees," Kakande said while briefing the media at the hospital.

"My eye is fine now. I'm happy to see again. I don't feel any pain. I had thought I would not recover. My eye is okay," Kabuye said.