Alexander Barash, MD, left, and Vincent Sun, MD, NYEE
Greg Conti, a retired Army officer and cybersecurity expert, remembers exactly when he first noticed seeing a “constellation of little black dots” floating in his right eye. It was in December 2019, when he was having dinner with his wife and her mother. He quickly made an appointment with his ophthalmologist, who sent him to a retinologist, who referred him to the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at Mount Sinai (NYEE). He also recalls the exact date (December 27) and time (7:29 pm) he walked into the lobby of NYEE.
Greg was seen by a number of doctors, including the attending ophthalmologist and a retinology fellow, Vincent Sun, MD. “The thought of losing my sight was the most stressful experience of my life. And that is significant, because I served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, including two overseas tours of duty.” He adds, “I had no reason to think I could go blind. Yet here I was, contemplating that future.” Thankfully, after speaking with Dr. Sun, Greg was reassured and hopeful. “Dr. Sun told me I had a large tear in my retina, and it was detached. But he explained in detail how it would be repaired. I thought to myself, ‘I am in good hands, he’s got this.’” On Sunday, December 29, Dr. Sun and retina specialist Alexander Barash, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed emergency surgery on Greg’s right eye.
Greg returned home for follow-ups near his upstate home, but in late February 2020, he experienced similar floaters in his left eye. Once again, Dr. Sun and Dr. Barash performed emergency sight-saving surgery on Greg.
Drs. Sun and Barash say Greg’s case is rare. “The likelihood of a retinal detachment is approximately 1 in 10,000 in the general population, and less than 2 in 1,000,000 will have a detachment in their second eye as well,” Dr. Barash says. “Greg did the right thing: he went to an eye doctor as soon as he noticed changes in his vision. This allowed him to have sight-saving surgery early in the disease process and gave him the best possible visual outcome. He can still read the 20/20 line on the chart today!”
Mr. Conti developed retinal tears and retinal separation spontaneously, not due to any known injury”, Dr. Sun says. “Anyone can have a retinal detachment, but some people are at higher risk if a family member experienced the same injury, as was the case for Mr. Conti. A dilated eye exam can help your eye doctor find a small retinal tear or detachment early, before it starts to affect your vision.”
Greg has nothing but praise for Dr. Sun and Dr. Barash. “I felt so reassured in their care. They saved me from complete blindness. I am forever in their debt.”