Mohali-based doctor performs precision eye surgery

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 4

Claiming to cut down the cost of cataract surgery considerably, Mohali-based ophthalmologist Dr Amarjit Singh, recently demonstrated his technique of manual small incision surgery at an international conference in Kolkata and was honoured for the breakthrough.

Dr Amarjit said manual small incision cataract surgery is done with 5mm-6mm incision.

“A few doctors have tried at 3mm incision. For the first time in the world, we did it at 2.8mm incision without using phacoemulsification machine. The cost of surgery reduces to Rs 3,000,” he said.

It took him nearly 20 years to gain expertise in the surgery in 2.8mm incision, he said. Dr Amarjit stressed the complication rate is less than 1 per cent and it takes just 10 minutes to perform a surgery.

“Manual incision surgery is rare, but lot of people are doing it nowadays. It will definitely help in elimination of avoidable blindness due to cataract in the country,” said Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER.