Neel - I feel my eye health is in best possible hands

About 7 years ago they discovered glaucoma in my right eye, which was the one I relied upon for my vision. I was worried it could affect optic nerve in that eye. At that point I was advised to see a glaucoma specialist at Moorfields Private Eye Hospital which is well-known in the UK and abroad.

So, when a year later, my eye pressure went out of control and kept on spiking despite me using 5 different types of eye drops, I went straight to Moorfields Private.

Initially, I thought it’d be just a consultation for me to discuss a potential surgery installing an eye shunt to get the glaucoma under control sometime later.

But due to the bleeding in the retina and that eye being essential for my vision, I was advised to have the surgery to stop the haemorrhage immediately and the shunt installation shortly after that. My three doctors, renown specialists in paediatric uveitis, retina and glaucoma respectively, worked seamlessly across Moorfields Private and other children’s hospital to make sure the procedures were successful for me.

The shunt operation which took place in the Moorfields Private Children’s Eye Centre was very smooth. I remember I was always addressed to as a patient, not a child. My doctor and the medical team made sure I fully understood what they were doing as well as the benefits and potential side effects of the procedure. I knew it all in good detail before the operation.

After the surgery, there was some discomfort, and we were given medicine to manage it. I also couldn’t see properly for a few weeks and my Mum was taking me out for walks.

Since then, my eyes have a very stable pressure, and I don’t even need to use glaucoma eye drops any more.

We moved to the UK to be nearer to the hospital and now I just have monthly check-ups at Moorfields Private New Cavendish Street. I was also transferred from paediatric to adult care in the hospital.

My consultant has this reassuring aura about him. He looks at any issues with care and explains everything clearly to me and my parents. I get advice on potential risks going forward and how to minimise them. On his recommendation, I play tennis to work on my hand-eye coordination. Moorfields consultants see a lot of patients with rare and complex conditions, and they are able to suggest things that they see working for people.

My doctor also flags any new research and makes sure I am ready to benefit from it when opportunities arise. I feel he and other doctors I have met in the hospital do care about me, keep me in mind for any future possibilities they hear about; I am not just a number to them.

I study math and computer science at the university, read a lot, play piano and enjoy board games with my friends.

No one understood my eyes better than Moorfields.