Dec 3, 2009
School of Medicine, Kochi
 

Drishti 2009, the 34th Annual Conference of the Kerala Society of Ophthalmic Surgeons, concluded in Kannur recently on November 29, 2009.
 

The three-day conference had several symposiums and talks. In addition, there were free paper sessions, wherein delegates could present their research work.
 

Amrita’s HoD of Retinal Services, Dr. Gopal S. Pillai, won the first prize for his paper presentation in the posterior segment free paper session. The paper was titled — Results of Small Gauge Vitrectomy for Retinal Diseases: A Retrospective Analysis of 586 Cases.
 

The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences has performed over 600 25-gauge surgeries in order to correct retinal problems of the eyes. The retina is the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye, which helps one see.
 

“Most hospitals in India use 20-gauge instruments to perform these surgeries,” Dr. Pillai informed. “With 25-gauge instruments that are of a very small size, we are able to perform suture-less surgeries.”
 

Suture-less surgeries subject the patient to less discomfort. Moreover, recovery is faster. “A period of two months may be needed for one to completely recover from a 20-gauge surgery,” Dr. Pillai added. “But in the case of 25-gauge surgeries, the patient has more or less recovered within 3-4 days.”
 

Using the smaller-size gauges entails a higher level of skill and precision. Dr. Pillai, who obtained his MD in Ophthalmology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and later completed a 3-year senior residency term there, certainly has both. We congratulate him and his team on this achievement.