
Eye patients at Hinchingbrooke Hospital are already reaping the benefits of new, advanced ophthalmic equipment – thanks to charitable donations.
The Eye Team has welcomed the arrival of a new Microkeratome, a specialist piece of equipment that will significantly enhance the ability to perform different types of complex corneal transplant surgeries. The £52,000 machine means that patients who would have previously had to be sent to other NHS sites can now access this specialist treatment closer to their local area.
Tomasz Kuczynski (42) has become the first patient to benefit from this cutting-edge equipment, undergoing a "Mushroom 2-piece Penetrating Keratoplasty" surgery - a modified form of a full-thickness transplant, where the cornea is replaced. This innovative surgery is currently offered in only a few centres in the UK.
Lead Surgeon, Mr. Jesse Panthagani, explained: "The Microkeratome allows us to precisely split the donated corneal transplant tissue, enabling us to perform more intricate lamellar corneal surgical procedures and offer patients the latest surgical techniques here at the Trust."
The new equipment – purchased through donations to the North West Anglia Hospitals’ Charity – will help to significantly reduce patient waiting time by allowing patients to been seen more quickly within the hospital setting, and offering more timely and effective treatment and outcomes.
After years of declining vision, Tomasz was referred to Hinchingbrooke Hospital for surgery following evaluations by his opticians and teams at Peterborough City Hospital.
He said: “My vision was very poor and was getting even worse. It was like looking through a thick fog, so I was excited about the opportunity to have the surgery”.
The two-and-a-half-hour procedure made a remarkable difference. “It actually wasn’t too uncomfortable,” said Tomasz. “Although there were a few days of adjustment, I felt so much better straight after the operation.
“Now I’m recovering, and my eyesight is getting better every day! I’m feeling much more positive - colours are so much brighter, and I can see amazing little details I’ve not been able to see before - even in simple things like stones and normal every-day objects.
Mr Panthagani said: “Tomasz's surgery, while complex, went smoothly, and we anticipate that after completing the recovery period his full vision will be restored.”
Kris, Tomasz’s son, has also noticed a difference: “When we first found out he was going to be able to have the surgery, I was so happy that he’d be able to have that full sense of independence back, and for that improvement in the quality of his life. He’s just ecstatic now!”.