SINGAPORE: Local actor Elvin Ng did not have the best start to the Year of the Horse.
He experienced a close shave this week and could have even gone blind if he had not sought immediate medical attention.
The 45-year-old disclosed on social media on Feb 24 that he underwent a retinal detachment/reattachment surgery on his right eye the previous evening.
According to screenshots shared by the Mediacorp artiste, retinal detachment is a medical emergency where the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye lifts or pulls away from its normal position, causing sudden flashes of light, a surge in floaters (spots in a person's vision) or a shadow/curtain over the vision.
Retinal detachment surgery is a procedure performed to reattach the retina to the back of the eye.
“It was very urgent and a major operation which had to be done ASAP before fluid accumulation in the eye reached the eye centre, which could then cause permanent blindness,” Ng wrote, posting photos of himself in a hospital gown before the procedure, on the operating table with his doctors and with his eye patched up as he prepared to be discharged.
“I’m sharing this so anyone who ever encounters similar symptoms can act quickly and get help because timing is critical within 24 hours.”
The star said he first felt something was not right with his eye in the early hours of Feb 23.
“I realised there was a dark circular shadow at the bottom corner of my right eye between 3am and 6am, and when I moved my eye around, the shadow didn’t move,” he wrote.
“I went for eye checks at noon (after going back to sleep) and once the diagnosis was confirmed, my operation was scheduled at 6.30pm.”
Ng said by that evening, the shadow had covered nearly half his eye and was near the centre.
“Timing was crucial and everything happened in a whirlwind,” he said.
The operation was a success and Ng assured his followers that he is on the mend.
“I’ll update a bit more on my condition and recovery next, but it will be a slow and patient process,” he said, thanking the doctors at Eagle Eye Centre for the professional care.- The Straits Times/ANN
