Kisan Jadhav (name changed) was studying for his master’s degree in history in Jalna, a small town in central Maharashtra. He was a studious, quiet youngster, intent on realizing his dream of becoming a professor after completing his Ph.D. His life changed one day, when some miscreants, mistaking him for someone else, threw acid upon his face. He was admitted to the local hospital with extensive chemical burns of the face and both eyes severely damaged.
Several months of painful reconstructive surgeries later his face regained some semblance of normalcy. Unfortunately he was totally blind both eyes. The left eye had shrunk to a third of its size and was unable to even perceive light. The right eye could perceive light, but the cornea was totally opaque and the eye was bone dry with virtually no tear production. In such a situation with inadequate tear secretion, a corneal graft is doomed to failure. Fortunately, his eye surgeons had heard of a new treatment suitable for such patients. He was referred to Mumbai and operated upon in 2 stages and an artificial cornea or Pintucci keratoprosthesis was implanted in his right eye. It is now 4 years since this surgery. Kisan has 6/6 or normal distance vision with glasses and can read the tiniest of print without any glasses. He has resumed his studies and has passed his MA exam.
