‘I woke up from surgery and knew instantly my life had changed’

A man told of the moment his life changed instantly after undergoing pioneering eye surgery.

Steve Routh struggled to see his hand in front of his face or the food on his plate due to a rare genetic disorder ^[1] called Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome (ARS), which affects the development of the eye. Steve was running a pub in Southport ^[2] when he was first diagnosed with the condition at St Paul’s Eye Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital ^[3] aged 32.

He has undergone more than 45 operations to save his sight since then, but each corneal transplant (an operation which replaces the clear window at the front of the eye with healthy donor tissue) has deteriorated quicker than most, only lasting up to 18 months.

In 2014, Steve lost complete sight in his right eye due to a double retinal detachment, and with deteriorating vision in his left eye, his sight almost entirely failed. The 55-year-old said he was in a “last chance saloon” when he was offered the chance to undergo pioneering Boston Keratoprosthesis (KPro) surgery in April this year.

Steve, from Thornaby-on-Tees near Middlesbrough, told the ECHO: “The way I described my vision was like being in a smoky room. It gets smokier and smokier until you can’t see. I could barely see my hand in front of my face it was that cloudy.

“I was eating and I couldn’t see what was on the plate. My wife would have to adjust the diet to accommodate that because I couldn’t see what was on the plate in front of me.

“My surgeons never gave up on me all these years. I knew my latest surgery was the ‘last chance saloon’ – as you can’t keep on regrafting and after losing sight in my right eye it made the success of this new pioneering surgery so important, as it contained a big risk of me losing what little sight I had in my left eye.

“But as the success rate of my transplants were deteriorating, I knew the risks associated with the KPro was worth taking.”

KPro is a specialist operation that restores sight and offers a greater chance of improved vision for a longer period. An artificial cornea, made from acrylic plastic on top of a titanium back plate, in the middle of a human donor cornea, is stitched into place at the front of the eye. It provides a clear central window, which restores sight.

Steve Routh and Professor Stephen Kaye at St Paul’s Eye Unit (Image: Liverpool Echo)

Steve underwent the surgery at St Paul’s Eye Unit in April, performed by Professor Stephen Kaye, Teresa Sandinha and Hussam Muntasser. Steve said: “When I opened my eyes for the first time, I knew straight away it had worked without anyone telling me.

“I had a patch on my eyes for a few hours when I woke up, but even with that patch on I could still see more detail of the patch on my eye so I knew it had worked.

“They took the patch off the next morning and I remember coming down to clinic after the surgery and the consultant got me to read the chart, and I read a couple of lines on the chart. It actually blew him away the day after the surgery, he said ‘Steve that’s absolutely amazing.'”

The surgery means Steve can do the things that he said people often take for granted, like going to the supermarket and booking a holiday abroad. The Newcastle United fan has also been able to watch his team play for the first time in years thanks to his improved vision. He said: “When I got back home I could watch my football and I could see the ball, I could see the players.

“The first match I actually watched was when Newcastle qualified for the Champions League when we played Leicester that night. Before, I could only see blurry colour moving across my 75-inch TV screen from six foot away, so I would have to rely on the commentary and imagine what was happening in parts.

“Although it never stopped me cheering and singing along with the fans – my neighbours always knew when Newcastle were playing. But my sight has improved to such an extent that I can now make out the players and see the ball too.”

Now, 13 weeks post-surgery, Steve has booked his first holiday abroad in years with wife Amanda, who will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary in the Dominican Republic in October.

He said: “The whole team at the Royal have been unbelievable. I’ve had the same consultant for 20 years, I trust him implicitly Professor Kaye, which is why I agreed to him doing the [KPro surgery].”

Professor Stephen Kaye, Consultant Ophthalmologist, said: “It’s been a privilege to look after Mr. Routh, who has never given up hope on us working to save his sight, and for other similar patients.

“Through the generous and altruistic act of eye donation we are able to give patients this much needed surgery to improve their quality of life and enable them to live their lives towards a level they had before their sight-loss.”

References

^{^} rare genetic disorder (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} Southport (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} Royal Liverpool University Hospital (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} Council ‘in talks’ for Busker Pete to be remembered on Church Street (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} Sign up to the Bake On Bake Off newsletter for delicious recipes straight to your inbox (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)