The city-based Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital on October 4 claimed that it has carried out a new innovative technique
for high astigmatism cases for the first time in the world.

The new technique ‘Pinhole Pupilloplasty’, used during surgery, was easiest, cost-effective and yields high results, where the patients, who were nearly blind, get back their vision. Prof Amar Agarwal, Chairman, Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals introduced this unique technique at European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting after successfully treating patients in India.

Talking to reporters here, he said the transparent front part of the eye, cornea plays an important role in focusing vision. However, cornea could be damaged due to various reasons, including injuries, exposure to explosions, post eye transplantation or surgery or due to conical cornea called Keratoconus. Such affected patients have high astigmatism in their eyes of about 20 Diopter, he said.

Astigmatism was the refractive power in one direction, which prevents from focusing clearly on the retina. This is the common reason for the corneal scar or the surgery-induced visual blur. A normal eye could manage an astigmatism of about 3-4 dioptres. With astigmatism as 20 dioptres, the patient fails to attain clear vision.

He said the ‘Pinhole Pupilloplasty’ technique was to make the pupil, which was the diaphragm of the eye to 1.5 mm or less. The objects become clear even with 20 d of astigmatism as the rays of light, which were in the periphery, could not pass into the eye.

Only the central rays passing through the 1.5 mm of pupil pass into the eye. ''Therefore, the quality and depth of focus of the rays on the retina is improved by the pinhole effect'', Dr. Amar Agarwal said. “Pinhole Pupilloplasty is the new method to manage patients with high astigmatism. There are various methodologies for treating a damaged cornea, but we decided to make the pupil a pinhole about 1.5 mm'', he said.

This was done with a single-pass four-throw pupilloplasty technique. Patients, who have eyesight of 6/60 or below gains eyesight of 6/12 or better immediately after next post-operative. Patients with high 20 diopters of astigmatism, with this pinhole pupilloplasty regains normal eyesight