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Routine eye test leads to emergency brain surgery

Specsavers The image shows Alison Wright smiling directly at the camera. She is wearing glasses and has long, dark hair. Behind her, and also smiling at the camera, is her husband James. He has a dark beard and short hair.Specsavers
Alison Wright, pictured with her husband James, said she was now free of pain

A woman who put her severe headaches down to needing new glasses was rushed to hospital for life-saving brain surgery after her optometrist spotted a dangerous symptom.

Alison Wright, from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, made an appointment at her local Specsavers after suffering from headaches, dizziness and tinnitus.

The optometrist spotted that the 42-year-old had swelling at the back of both eyes - commonly associated with a severe condition which can result in brain damage, disability and death.

Mrs Wright said she "could have gone blind" if she had not made the appointment.

Warning: Graphic image below

"The whole process has really taught me to start listening to my body," she said.

Specsavers A woman with dark hair and red glasses looks downwards, a scar on her scalp can be seen from above. Specsavers
Mrs Wright originally thought her headaches were down to just needing a new pair of glasses

Maya Akram, a locum optometrist at Specsavers in Cheshire Oaks, carried out the eye test and immediately spotted abnormalities.

After further tests, including an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan which produced a 3D scan of the back of Mrs Wright's eyes, Ms Akram was able to identify swelling and referred her to the emergency eye care department at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Mrs Wright was then referred to a neurologist and had two MRI scans after which a neurosurgeon noticed a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in her brain.

'Quick action saved me'

She was immediately diagnosed with hydrocephalus - a build up of fluid in the brain.

Neurosurgeons at the Walton Centre in Liverpool performed an Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy – a type of brain surgery during which a hole is drilled in the skull to allow the excess cerebrospinal fluid to escape.

If left untreated, hydrocephalus can lead to brain damage, disability and death.

Mrs Wright said: "There was that much pressure, when he carried out the procedure the fluid all squirted over his shoulder.

"The first thing I asked was, 'Did I get you?' Luckily, I hadn't."

Doctors fitted a metal plate in Alison's head which she said had eliminated her headaches, eye pain and chronic back pain.

She said the quick action of the optometrist and the team at Specsavers had saved her sight and taken away the pain she had been suffered.

Ms Akram said: "A trip to the opticians is about so much more than routine eye testing and Alison's story is a stark reminder of this."

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