News highlights
A medical team at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, affiliated with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, successfully performed vitreoretinal surgery for the first time at the hospital on a 72-year-old patient. This delicate medical procedure contributes to treating numerous conditions, restoring vision, and preserving eyesight for many patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy and other common retinal diseases.The Head of the Ophthalmology Department at the University Hospital, Dr. Jose Manuel Vargas, explained that this achievement represents a step toward receiving and evaluating patients with various retinal conditions to determine their suitability for this type of surgery. The procedure includes comprehensive medical services such as retinal angiography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), wide-field fundus imaging, and laser photocoagulation. The surgery focuses on the vitreous body and retina. The vitreous body is a gel-like substance that fills the cavity between the eye lens and the retina. This procedure is used to treat vision problems caused by disorders affecting the inner part of the eye. The recovery period usually does not exceed a few weeks, during which vision improves for most cases or may return to its normal state. The most common cause for such surgeries is diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages retinal blood vessels. Other retinal conditions treated by this procedure include flashes of light, floaters, curtain-like shadows, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, eye pain or discomfort, and retinopathy of prematurity, which can cause visual impairment or blindness in some cases. This achievement aligns with the efforts of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital to support the strategic objectives of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University 2025, by enhancing educational and applied performance across all fields, embedding quality in practices and procedures, and achieving the highest levels of healthcare, positioning the hospital as a leading model among local university hospitals in healthcare, education, and research.
