Sydney Eye Hospital specialists, nurses, orthoptists and social workers take a bow. Thirty-seven-year old Nicholas from Annandale thinks you are “fantastic in your caring.”
Nicholas knew something was wrong with his eyes last year. They were giving him pain and his vision was blurred.
He saw an optometrist and was told to go straight to the Emergency Department at Sydney Eye Hospital. It was there he was told he had a rare condition called thyroid eye disease.
“My eyes were huge. I couldn’t close them and they were very sensitive to light. I’d go to sleep at night with my eyes open and not even know they were open. I’d wake up and they would be still swollen, red and teary.”
After diagnosis Nicholas was introduced to the specialist ophthalmic nursing team to lead the pre admission requirements. As Clinical Nurse Consultant, Suzana Stefanovic explains, “We take great care in assessing a patient’s medical history and any complexities, to guide them through the pre-operative tests prior to surgery.”
L-R: Dr Taras Gout, Oculoplastic Fellow, Suzana Stefanovic CNC, Nicholas and Dr Martin
Nicholas needed multiple surgeries which were performed by A/Professor Raf Ghabrial, Oculoplastic surgeon and Foundation fellow Dr Taras Gout, a visiting ophthalmologist from the UK, gaining once in a lifetime experience at Sydney Eye Hospital.
And it was thanks to the Foundation 12 month Fellowship Program and the donors who enable it that Dr Gout was able to assist and take home invaluable surgical experience. As Dr Gout said, after Nicholas’ operation, “It was great to learn from the best.”
Nicholas still requires ongoing management and is being treated as an outpatient by the nursing and orthoptist teams. The hospital is renowned for its multidisciplinary approach housing all ophthalmic sub-specialties in the one hospital.
The team are providing education and support on the autoimmune disease and are well experienced in managing complexities that can arise.
“As a nurse, it’s also our responsibility pre and post-surgery to ensure patients like Nicholas are aware they can contact us with any questions or concerns, especially after discharge,” said Clinical Nurse Consultant, Suzana Stefanovic.
Because of the diplopia, he will need another operation to correct the double vision (diplopia) and the orthoptic team will be on hand to assist with helping educate Nicholas in training his eye muscles.
“Orthoptists are highly skilled in assessing diplopia and providing patients with relief from their symptoms of double vision using either stick on prisms for glasses or specialised tape that blurs the second image. We also provide our patients with education on how they can be best manage with their double vision whilst navigating the environment,” said Melanie Lai, Head of Orthoptics.
L-R: Dr Gout, A/Professor Ghabrial, Nicholas and Dr Cancio, incoming Oculoplastic Fellow.
Life is now looking good for Nicholas. He’s about to marry his partner Tu and, in between working as a sorter at Strathfield Mail Centre, he’s enjoying his hobby now that his eyesight is back – playing table war games with miniature toy army soldiers he paints himself.
“While the vision is clear in each eye there remains some double vision, giving Nicholas crossed eyes which will now be addressed by the strabismus team here at Sydney Eye Hospital,” said A/Professor Raf Ghabrial.
“The prognosis is excellent for Nick, and it is very unlikely the eye problems will reoccur,” he added.
