A woman’s sight was saved after an optician identified a serious eye infection during an emergency appointment. Susan Dolan, 57, initially believed she had the early stages of a style, but within 24 hours of visiting her optician, she was undergoing emergency surgery to prevent permanent damage.
Susan, a logistics worker from Houston, Renfrewshire, explained the severity of her situation. “The surgeon explained to me that if I had left it for another 24 hours, I could have lost my sight or even my eye,” she revealed. “It was thanks to [optician] Gemma’s rapid response that thankfully I still have my vision. I was probably the last thing she wanted to see when closing after a busy Saturday, but thank goodness she was able to seek out the correct treatment for me.” report from The Mirror.
Her ordeal began when she experienced discomfort above her right eyebrow, along with some itchiness. Concerned, she decided to visit her local optician, Hill Eyecare in Paisley, Renfrewshire. There, she was assessed by Gemma Hill, an optometrist and the owner of the clinic. Upon examining Susan’s eye, Gemma noticed clouding across the cornea and swelling, raising alarms.
Gemma immediately made an urgent out-of-hours referral to ophthalmology at Gartnavel General Hospital in Glasgow for the following day. By that time, Susan’s condition had worsened, and she was unable to open her eye. After a brief consultation at the hospital, she was quickly transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where doctors diagnosed her with orbital cellulitis.
Orbital cellulitis is a serious infection of the soft tissues around the eye. The condition requires immediate medical intervention due to the risk of significant complications, including loss of vision, abscess formation, thrombosis, meningitis, and sepsis, all of which could be life-threatening.
Later that same day, Susan underwent surgery to relieve the pressure caused by the infection. The surgical team removed parts of her nasal passages and bone behind her eye to stop the infection from spreading and to prevent further damage.
Now recovering at home, Susan credits her optician’s swift actions for saving her sight. Gemma Hill expressed hope that Susan’s story would raise awareness. “I hope that by Susan sharing her story, others will know who to call in a similar situation,” she said.
Thanks to the quick thinking and expertise of her optician, Susan is expected to make a full recovery, but her story serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking prompt medical care for eye problems.
