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Debi Bailey from Sarasota came to Indianapolis in July to see Dr. Francis W. Price, Jr. in the hopes of regaining her vision. In 1972, she was standing near her father when he opened a package that turned out, tragically, to contain a bomb. The explosion killed her father instantly and permanently damaged one of her eyes and made her legally blind in the other. Almost fatally injured, Debi lost 50% of her hearing, suffered internal injuries and second and third degree burns. She endured a great deal of suffering and, over the years, her vision continued to worsen. She had numerous surgeries but the cornea in her left eye was badly scarred and cloudy.
With the help of her community, and the Lions Club in Sarasota, Debi flew to Indianapolis for a combination of two procedures in her severely damaged left eye. Dr. Price performed a corneal transplant to replace the cloudy cornea she had, and implanted an artificial iris. Using a new laser technology to create ultra-small incisions,
Dr. Price and his assistants performed the delicate transplant surgery known as a "Top Hat" because of the unique shape of the tissue cut. Dr. Price was encouraged by how the surgery went and noted, "We're hoping that use of the laser to create a top hat incision will provide faster healing with fewer visual fluctuations compared with traditional transplant techniques."
Ms. Bailey is hoping to see things she thought she might never be able to, including "...sunsets at the beach in Sarasota, my children's' faces, the stars at night." Complete healing will take place over the next six months and she will return to Indianapolis for a check-up in 90 days. Dr. Price said he hopes the FDA will sign off on the iris implants this fall so that many others might be helped.
