When the bandages came off William Madison’s right eye in mid-May 2011, the Seattle resident was not prepared for what he saw.
Or rather, that he could actually see.
After years of seeing only blurred shapes and colors, the 29-year-old mortgage banker and photographer reaped the rewards of an artificial cornea transplant. Neda Shamie, M.D., an ophthalmologist who practices at the Keck School of Medicine-affiliated
Doheny Eye Institute and the
Doctors of USC Beverly Hills satellite, performed the procedure the day before, hopeful that Madison would walk away with better sight than he came to Los Angeles with.
“I have had this experience several times with other patients, but this was special because William has been my patient for the past five years,” said Shamie, who treated Madison when she was working at the Devers Eye Institute in Portland, Ore. “We needed to develop a friendship and trust for him to be able to commit to this. Now, to give him these results – I’m ecstatic.”
Madison is still reeling from the partial restoration of a sense he has been missing for half of his life.
“I’m in shock,” he said. “It’s kind of overwhelming. I can see details, actual definition. It’s better vision than I’ve ever had in my life.”
Madison was born with a genetic condition called aniridia, which means there are no irises in his eyes. People with aniridia may develop secondary complications such as glaucoma, which Madison also has. As a result he has spent many years undergoing surgery with varying results.
Shamie replaced Madison’s scarred cornea with an artificial cornea during the 90-minute transplant procedure. Using high-powered magnification lenses and sophisticated equipment, Shamie carefully sliced the damaged cornea from the eye and stitched in the artificial cornea while Madison was under anesthesia.
Legally blind for most of his life, Madison decided to undergo the procedure with no expectations of improved sight. His left eye is prosthetic, so the risks he faced were considerable.
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up,” he said. “I still don’t have a left eye, so I won’t be able to drive a car or get the long range clarity that a typical sighted person would enjoy, but this is far beyond what I had before.”
Madison expects his new ability to discern more details will take his photography to a new level. He began taking photographs over a year ago, focusing on dramatic colors and shapes such as the Space Needle. With a friend’s help to correctly frame and crop his photos, he set up a web site, Blind Insight, to display and sell his work.
As he tests his vision, Madison says he’s glad he made the long trip to L.A.
“I could have gone to Devers, but I came to L.A. for Dr. Shamie,” he said. “That says a lot for who she is and how she works. I’m not going to hand over my eye to just anyone.
“This is a real blessing. I absolutely love Dr. Shamie.”