Hucknall man thanks local opticians for saving his sight

A year prior to visiting their local Specsavers in Hucknall, 41-year-old Neil had been at his brother’s house where everyone joined in a family game with Nerf guns.

Neil recalled: “We were all having a great time but then I accidently got hit in the eye at close range.

“I immediately felt a strange sensation that was like a ‘pop’ in my eye.

"After the initial shock I suffered from intense pain for a few minutes and then it quickly subsided.

"I wasn’t overly concerned at the time and didn’t have any further problems directly after that until I started experiencing floaters and seeing black dots that continued for a couple of weeks.

"My vision seemed fine, and I wasn’t experiencing any discomfort, so didn’t take any action.

Fortunately, Neil’s wife, who was keen to have an eye examination before her upcoming driving test, urged him to come along to the Hucknall branch of Specsavers on High Street last month and also opt for the added reassurance of an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) examination.

The OCT machine, which is usually found in hospital eye departments, produces a structural scan of the eye to help detect a range of eye conditions.

Priyen Kotecha, optometrist director at Specsavers Hucknall, said: “I immediately picked up from the OCT scan that Neil was suffering from a retinal tear in his right eye that would have turned into a full retinal detachment had it been left any longer.

Recognising the potential seriousness of Neil’s condition, Priyen made an immediate, emergency referral to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham where Neil had an

appointment with the ophthalmology team a couple of days later.

He said: “After a series of tests, it was confirmed the retinal tear was too old to be reconnected using laser treatment so an operation was scheduled for the following Monday.

“It all happened so quickly but when you realise the severity of the condition and what could have happened had I not visited Specsavers when I did, it really hit home,’ he continues.

"I’m so glad my wife convinced me to join her for an appointment. If I hadn’t, the outcome could have been very different.

"I’m a lot better now, I’m back at work and my recovery is going well.

"My vision is still a bit blurry and I continue to be under the care of the ophthalmology team with three different types of eye drops to take.

"I’m hoping to be signed off in the next few weeks which will mark less than two months since my first appointment.

"I’m so grateful to Priyen and the whole of the Specsavers Hucknall team, they were all so attentive, caring and reassuring.

"It was a pleasure to visit the store the day after my procedure armed with a huge box of chocolates for them all.

"I wanted to thank them in person for everything they had done for me.”

For more information or to book an eye or hearing test, call Specsavers Hucknall on 0115 9889050 or click here.