Scleral Lens, Cataract Surgery Help Patient See Again

Kay Webb shares her family’s experience with The University of Kansas Health System Eye Center and ophthalmologists John Sutphin, MD, and Matthew Twardowski, OD.

“When we visited Dr. Sutphin, our daughter Susan, who has Down Syndrome, couldn’t see out of either eye. We visited a couple of other practices and didn’t really get clear direction.

“Susan had a cornea transplant in her left eye due to keratoconus about 10 years ago. There was difficulty with the transplant from the beginning, and this year her eye began to actively reject the transplant. It was swollen and scary looking. At the same time, she developed a cataract in her right eye. By the time we visited the Eye Center, she couldn’t see out of either eye. When we went outside, Susan’s dad held one hand and I held the other.

“We had such an incredible experience at the Eye Center. On our first visit, we were there the whole afternoon and met Dr. Sutphin. He and his team came up with a plan.

“The next day we met Dr. Twardowski – just a wonderful person. He wanted to see if they could use a scleral lens to help shape her right eye. It worked, and Dr. Sutphin was able to take out the cataract. A month later she got her scleral lens. She’s seeing 20/30 out of the right eye. She went from not seeing to seeing!

“There was also a plan for the left eye. It’s not red any more, the inflammation is gone, the pressure is way down.

“The Eye Center is just an amazing practice. Really. And it’s everybody on staff. The nurses – it’s everyone. They’re kind and gentle.”