George Can See, Thanks to Lurie Children's Physicians
This photo shows the cloudy lens of a pediatric patient with a congenital cataract.
At Lurie Children’s, an attending physician in the emergency department noticed, totally unrelated to the fall, that George’s vision appeared to be obstructed. Heather and her husband Kevin had previously expressed concerns about their son’s vision to their pediatrician, but were assured that vision develops until children are four months of age and were advised to monitor it. Within 12 hours at Lurie Children’s, George was diagnosed with bilateral cataracts, or cloudiness on the lenses of his eyes, that were almost completely obstructing the vision in both eyes.
To save his vision, Dr. Bahram Rahmani, an ophthalmologist and surgeon at Lurie Children’s, operated on George in a matter of days.
Critical Early Detection
George, here with his parents Heather and Kevin, can see with the help of glasses and contacts following his cataract removal surgery with Dr. Rahmani.
“Early detection and treatment of pediatric cataracts is crucial because the ability to focus or fixate with the eyes develops in the critical first 3-4 months of life,” said Dr. Rahmani. Because cataracts inhibit the brain’s process from working in harmony with the eye to develop these skills, babies with cataracts like George can develop nystagmus, in which the eyes shake in repetitive and uncontrolled movements.
“The longer it takes to remove cataracts in this critical period of life, the more likely it is that the nystagmus may develop or not reverse itself,” Dr. Rahmani said.
Fortunately, George’s surgeries — one for each eye — were successful. Dr. Rahmani was able to remove the cataracts by scraping them from George’s lenses.
‘The best gift anyone could possibly give us’
“He is the happiest little guy,” said mom Heather, “Giving my son sight is the best gift anyone could possibly give us. I remain so unbelievably thankful for Lurie Children’s and the wonderful doctors who strive daily to provide the best possible care.”
Today, George sees with the help of contacts and glasses and participates in physical and vision therapy. Dr. Rahmani expects his glasses and contacts prescription to decrease as he ages, eventually requiring only one method of corrected vision.
Meanwhile, at home, George, who turned one-year-old in June, is meeting milestones on time, Heather said. He has started pulling himself up to stand and loves crawling everywhere, chasing the family dog.
“He is the happiest little guy,” Heather said. “Giving my son sight is the best gift anyone could possibly give us. I remain so unbelievably thankful for Lurie Children’s and the wonderful doctors who strive daily to provide the best possible care.”
George’s glasses and contacts prescription should decrease as he ages, Dr. Rahmani said.
Heather agrees. “As a pediatrician, you become a trusted advisor in this care circle with new parents who sometimes feel like they have no idea what’s going on. By recognizing signs of health issues early, pediatricians can change the course of a child’s life.”
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