A BRADFORD woman has undergone potentially sight-saving surgery after an optometrist at Specsavers Bradford Broadway helped identify signs of serious condition.

While the store is currently only open for essential and urgent services during the Covid-19 pandemic, Carol Duerden, a 68-year-old charity trustee, visited her local Specsavers back in February for a routine eye test. In addition to the standard eye test, she also opted for an OCT (optical coherence tomography) scan after seeing advertisements on the television.

Specsavers’ Optometrist, Hasan Patel, identified abnormalities following the OCT scan and immediately referred Ms Duerden to specialists at the Bradford Royal Infirmary with a suspected retinal tear.

A Retinal tear or retinal detachment is usually caused by changes to the jelly inside your eye, which can happen as you get older. This is called posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).

It's more likely to happen if you are short-sighted or have had trauma to the eye.

Ms Duerden underwent a series of tests at the hospital which confirmed she did have a retinal tear and, if left untreated, could have caused blindness. After being rushed to surgery three days later, the retina was repaired.

Ms Duerden said: "I personally can’t thank Hasan at Specsavers enough. I visited Specsavers, Bradford Broadway in February simply for a routine eye check. Hasan immediately referred me to hospital.

"I was nervous about the potential severity of the diagnosis, but the doctors were great, and I had an operation to repair my left eye three days later. It’s all sorted now and I’m especially pleased I did not delay my trip to Specsavers.

"I’d encourage anyone who experiences a change in their sight to visit for a check-up straight away and make use of the OCT machine."

Hasan said: "We’re really pleased to hear that treatment has gone well for Ms Duerden and the outcome has been extremely positive. The subsequent surgery was certainly sight-saving.

"It goes to show just how important it is to have regular eye examinations and more so an OCT. We recommend having your eyes tested at least every two years unless you have concerns about your sight, in which case it is advisable to book an appointment even sooner."

Specsavers offers a range of technology to spot eye conditions and other underlying problems, which can help detect other treatable eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration sooner.

The scan, which only takes a few seconds, allows an optician to look deeper into the eyes than ever before and it can help to detect glaucoma up to four years in advance. Given that nearly half of all sight loss is preventable, conditions can be managed before they get worse and can help prevent potential sight loss if caught early.

Specsavers Bradford Broadway is currently only open for essential and urgent services. The team, along with Specsavers' teams across the UK, are classed as key workers to provide urgent and essential eye care to those who need it. This includes supporting other key workers who couldn’t function without our help and people who would come to harm without our health expertise, especially where the usual hospital services and NHS facilities are being prioritised for the fight against COVID-19.