Robin – Moorfields’ personalised care saved my vision

I decided to come to the UK to try to get the diagnosis and treatment. An eye consultant in Oxford had diagnosed a rare and aggressive form of central serous retinopathy (CSR) and told me to prepare for losing my vision completely in both eyes. It was devastating. My son was about to start school, and I went back home to my family with this news.

Meanwhile, my sister was not giving up and conducted a global internet search for a consultant who could try to help me. That search led us to Moorfields Private. After a thorough review of my medical history, my eye scans, and examining my eyes, my consultant Ms Sharon Heng confirmed I had the very rare form of CSR. She talked me and my sister, who accompanied me to the consultation, through this eye condition in detail. It was the first time we had the diagnosis explained to us.

Initially, I had a photodynamic therapy (PDT) to seal off blood vessels in my eyes and stop them leaking fluid behind the retina which was making my vision blurry. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for my form of the disease. At my follow up appointment, more fluid leakages were detected; I had lots of eye floaters and continued losing my central vision in both eyes. 

Yet, my consultant Ms Heng was undeterred. She continued to research possible treatments and sought opinions from other world-leading Moorfields consultants, before offering me a course of intravitreal injections. The injections were with a drug that I hadn’t been offered by any of my previous consultants, but which came with some additional risk. Ms Heng was very honest and informative, explaining the risks in detail. 

I’ve decided to give it a go. My consultant’s expertise, thoroughness, and compassion gave me enormous level of confidence to put my faith in this treatment.

I had 3 intravitreal injections at Moorfields Private, each administered 1 month apart, and I went home in between them. My consultant was in contact with me and worked with my ophthalmologist in my home country to closely monitor my eye health throughout the treatment. 

Every injection brought on remarkable improvements in my condition. After the first injection, the fluid leakages in my eyes dried up, my eye floaters vastly decreased and my vision in the most damaged eye improved. After the second injection, for the first time in years, I was able to enjoy a Christmas party complete with disco lights, which used to be unbearable for my eyes. The eye tests, completed after my third injection, showed signs of the nerve cells restoration in my most damaged eye, my vision was getting sharper, and I was able to reduce the character size on my computer and phone.

Additionally, my consultant supported me holistically, recommending lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, practicing relaxation and mindfulness techniques to reduce stress which is usually part of the picture in CSR. I have since taken up swimming and I really enjoy it. 

I am back driving and going out, feeling more like myself again. I continue coming to Moorfields Private for my intravitreal injections, at a longer intervals now, to control my condition and support positive changes in my vision.

I am very aware that I would have lost all of my vision by now if not for the dedication of my consultant and the outstanding personalised care I received at Moorfields Private. My family and I are extremely blessed to find an expert, who was not ready to give up on helping me, even when others have.

I’ve already recommended Moorfields Private to several people from my home country and the UK and will continue to do so. 

Thanks Moorfields Private, and especially my consultant Ms Heng who truly embodies the values of the hospital, for providing the best eye care and pioneering treatment that gave me my life back.

Shortage of PDT
There is currently a national shortage of the drug used in photodynamic therapy (PDT). Access to this treatment is subject to availability.