Armenian EyeCare Project

Arman’s Sight Restored

Arman lost the sight in his right eye as a child. He was playing with a box of matches, when accidentally the head from a fired match struck his eye resulting in blindness.

“I could see – but very badly. I could hardly read the first line in the eye chart. I had the surgery two weeks ago and now I can see until the sixth line. I decided to have the surgery in Armenia as I had heard good things about the doctors from my relatives who live here. When I came, I was not disappointed. I was very pleased with the way they explained everything to me and with the care they showed for each patient. That gave me a feeling of trust,” said Arman.

Arman currently lives in Krasnodar, Russia. He is studying for a master’s degree of law at university. At the moment, he earns his living by working at a car repair service.

Myth: If you wear glasses, not wearing them will cause your vision to deteriorate faster.

Fact: The immediate side effect of not wearing glasses if you need them is the equivalent of going to an art gallery tour without bothering to get a ticket.

Myth: Reading too much fine print or in poor light will eventually harm your vision.

Fact: "It's like saying if you take a picture in poor light, then the camera is going to be damaged," said Rosen, who worked as a photographer before he went to medical school and became an ophthalmologist.

Myth: The eye is full size at birth.

Fact: The eye is NOT full size at birth but continues to grow with your child. This growth partially accounts for refractive (glasses) changes that occur during childhood.

Diruhi’s Story

On 30 January 2014, Diruhi had cataract surgery. Unfortunately, after the surgery her sight continued to worsen. Diruhi was referred to Dr. Anna Hovakimyan and after a detailed examination she was told that she had a damaged cornea and that she needed a corneal transplant.

“I waited for the transplant for more than a year. My sudden blindness caused many difficulties in my everyday life. I couldn’t do anything at home and couldn’t look after my grandchildren. Now I am feeling very good. The pain is relieved and I can see again,” said Diruhi.

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