Implant surgery sheds light on a youngster's world

Nathan Spargo experienced an unlucky birth in his native China.

The youngster was born with congenital cataracts which surgeons there removed then sent him to live in an orphanage. In essence, he was blind.
Nathan's world was dark and he responded only to voices. Children blind from birth have no concept of movement because they don't see others walking or playing.

But his engaging smile captured the hearts of Peter and Joanna Spargo of Lake Township, Ohio, when they decided to adopt another Chinese child as a sibling for their Chinese-born daughter Leila, 5 1/2.

"We just believed God would send us the child we had and if he had special needs, we would deal with it," explained Joanna.

And there was Nathan.

[meida:20070609171253407 CONGENITAL CATARACTS]IN THE DARK

The Spargos brought him home - almost 7,000 miles from where he was born - and began checking with ophthalmologists in northeast Ohio.

Because of the amount of scar tissue that now covered his eyes, many surgeons refused to operate to restore some vision. But when the Spargos visited Dr. Elbert Magoon, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Eye Centers of Ohio, he believed there was a chance some of the child's vision could be restored. Magoon referred them to his colleague, Dr. Paul Turgeon, who specializes in intraocular implants that allow the eye to focus once again after cataract removal.

"We operated on the worst eye first," Turgeon said of the first surgery Feb. 12. "The scar tissue that had to be removed was like another big blind curtain across the inside of the eye. This kid was growing up in the dark.

The surgery was complex, cutting away the scar tissue and adhesions on such a small eye. We had to use scissors very carefully to get through some of it."

While the Spargos had hoped for the best, they knew how slim the chances were that Nathan would regain vision.

GRATIFYING RESULTS

However, soon after returning home, he began to play with toys, reaching for them, indicating he actually saw forms. His parents were ecstatic. Soon, Nathan, now 2, began to move about and, finally, to walk.

His second surgery April 16 was performed on the better eye and the results were just as gratifying.

"His teachers in day care say he sees things across the room and goes to them," said Nathan's mother. "Now he sorts his goldfish crackers and he's making patterns with them," reported Turgeon. "And his dad says when he walks into the room, Nathan gets up and walks toward him now."

EXPLANATION OF TERMS

- Cataract: A congenital cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye that is present at birth. The lens of the eye is normally a clear structure, which focuses light received by the eye onto the retina.

Source: National Institutes of Health

- Intraocular implant: Made of plastic, silicone, acrylic or other material that is implanted inside the eye during cataract surgery. Abbreviation: IOL.

Source: MedicineNet.com

- Ophthalmologist: An ophthalmologist is an eye M.D., a medical doctor who specializes in eye and vision care. Ophthalmologists are trained to provide the full spectrum of eye care, from prescribing glasses and contact lenses to complex and delicate eye surgery. They may also do eye research.