Professor Francisco Figueiredo, consultant ophthalmologist at Newcastle Eye Centre, who treated Mr Laskey for his injuries, said: “Chemical eye burns are a true emergency – they can cause significant sight loss that will substantially impact the quality of the patient’s life and rapid treatment is crucial.
Claire Price, national retrieval manager at NHS Blood and Transplant’s Tissue and Eye Services, said: “Amnion grafts are very special things indeed – they play a crucial role in the treatment to save the vision of those who have suffered accidents or injuries, as well as in some corneal transplants, which are life-changing for many.
Scientists at NHSBT’s Tissue and Eye Services then use these to create a specialist tissue graft, which can be used to treat eye injuries.
“They are thin, lightweight, elastic and almost transparent, making them ideal for use on the surface of the eye and help to heal eye surface tissue damage while also providing anti-inflammatory benefits.
“In Paul’s case, which is really quite severe, we began by removing any residues of the chemical agent that may have still been in contact with the eye, before progressing to intensive, topical, systemic and surgical treatment, using amniotic membrane transplantation.
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