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SINGAPORE \u2013 Local actor Elvin Ng did not have the best start to the Year of the Horse.<\/p>\n
He experienced a close shave this week and could have even gone blind if he had not sought immediate medical attention. <\/p>\n
The 45-year-old Mediacorp artiste disclosed on social media on Feb 24 that he had undergone a retinal detachment\/reattachment surgery on his right eye the previous evening. <\/p>\n
Retinal detachment is a medical emergency where the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye lifts or pulls away from its normal position, causing sudden flashes of light, a surge in floaters or a shadow\/curtain over the vision. <\/p>\n
Retinal detachment surgery is a procedure performed to reattach the retina to the back of the eye.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very urgent and a major operation that had to be done ASAP, before fluid accumulation in the eye reached the eye centre, which could then cause permanent blindness,\u201d <\/b>Ng <\/b>wrote. He posted photos of himself in a hospital gown before the procedure, on the operating table with his doctors and with his eye patched up as he prepared to be discharged. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sharing this so anyone who ever encounters similar symptoms can act quickly and get help because timing is critical within 24 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he first felt something was not right with his eye in the early hours of Feb 23.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realised there was a dark circular shadow at the bottom corner of my right eye between 3am and 6am, and when I moved my eye around, the shadow didn\u2019t move,\u201d he wrote. <\/p>\n
\u201cI went for eye checks at noon (after going back to sleep) and once the diagnosis was confirmed, my operation was scheduled for 6.30pm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ng said by that evening, the shadow had covered nearly half his eye and was near the centre. <\/p>\n
\u201cTiming was crucial and everything happened in a whirlwind,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The operation was a success and Ng assured his followers he is on the mend.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll update a bit more on my condition and recovery next, but it will be a slow process,\u201d he said, thanking the doctors at Eagle Eye Centre for the professional care. <\/p>\n