Vision-saving eye surgery now available in NWO
Before Dr. Alex Pisig came to Thunder Bay last year, northwestern Ontario patients needing retinal detachment surgery could only be treated in Winnipeg or southern Ontario.
Retinal detachment is a medical emergency where tears in eye tissue cause the retina to pull away from supportive tissue. It can lead to complete loss of vision if left untreated.
Pisig noticed that gap early as a ophthalmologist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. As a trained vitreoretinal surgeon, all he needed was a few basic materials to fix simple cases of retinal detachment.
“It was kind of frustrating for me as a trained retinal surgeon that I needed to refer these cases outbound to some other place,” Pisig said. “That’s why I thought I should take initiative and bring the necessary eye care to Thunder Bay.”
His efforts paid off: Pisig successfully secured the materials, including the gas canister needed to treat early signs of retinal detachment.
His first patient was Thunder Bay’s Bob Campbell, who was referred to the ER after reporting seeing “floaters”.
“[Dr. Pisig] saved my vision,” Campbell said. “Put your trust into him and he will look after you. He’s the best in the business and I love him.”
Campbell said the whole process was done in just one “whirlwind” day, and he has experienced no side effects.
Simple retinal detachments are treated by injecting gas into the eye, then tilting the patient’s head to the side to allow the gas bubble to float up and push the retina back into place.
“The gas canister that we acquired will last several years or maybe up to a decade,” Dr. Pisig said. “We have already treated about a dozen patients to date.”
Dr. Pisig is already working to expand retinal detachment treatment in northwestern Ontario to more complex cases.
“At this point we are only able to treat simple cases using the gas-bubble injection. That’s a simple in-office procedure. But for very complex cases we’ll need equipment capable of treating not just retinal detachment but retinal conditions,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to bring that equipment here and also train the personnel to service Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario.”
The “Three F’s” of early retinal detachment symptoms are floaters, flashes, and field of vision loss.
“If you have one or two of these symptoms, go see an optometrist. If you are having sudden blurring of vision, go to the emergency room,” Dr. Pisig said.
