Dr Werner Keßler saves the boy’s eyesight
Young David* loves his toy helicopter. But then his left eye makes a too close an acquaintance with the rotating rotor blade and within a split second the hard plastic has slit open his cornea.
Immediately the parents take their son to Cusco’s City Hospital. The ophthalmologists know that emergency surgery under general anaesthetic is necessary in order to save his eyesight. But the operation is delayed.
Why? Because the person doing the preliminary examination decided that the small patient needed a special echography prior to the narcosis. And why did he come up with this idea? Apart from the critical condition of his eye, the patient is fit and healthy. This totally unnecessary heart echo cannot be done now, nor tomorrow, nor in twelve days.
Two weeks later the parents in their helplessness know of no other solution, but to drive the 125km to Curahuasi. Last Saturday Dr Werner Keßler looked at the boy. His diagnosis is crystal clear: the iris is gaping out of the cornea’s wound. This needs to be looked at and fast. Irrespective if it is a weekend or not, this needs to be dealt with asap.
Eye-surgeon, anaesthetist, anaesthesia nurse and three eye-nurses are quickly summoned, the patient is on the operating table and everything is ready to go. But, before he starts, Dr Keßler gives the child and the whole team into God’s care.
Prayer is a perfect start for such a difficult operation. The tissue that in the meantime had grown together needed to be separated again: a painstakingly delicate task. Only then could the anatomical-correct stitches be made. 90 minutes later the operation is over.
For David things turned out alright in the end. He will probably recover and be able to see clearly again. (* Name changed)
