NEW DELHI: After going blind for two days, 70-year-old Sona Misra had never thought that she would her regain vision. But now, thanks to the efforts of a team of doctors at Ganga Ram Hospital, she has regained about 20% of her lost vision.

Sona suffered an ocular stroke, meaning that a blood-clot in the eye artery had cut off blood supply to her retina. A neuro-interventional technique, which, the hospital claims that it is the first to use in the country for such a condition, has come to Sona's rescue.

In fact, says Dr Shakir Husain, honourary consultant, stroke neurology and interventional neuroradiology, "She came to us 48 hours after the stroke, which is way behind the prescribed window period of 6-8 hours. Hence, parts of her eye had already suffered irreversible damage. Had she come in time, we would have been able to restore 100% vision."

The technique, costing about Rs 50,000, is done under local anaesthesia and takes about one-and-half hours. A clot-busting drug is injected through a catheter, inserted through the thigh vein. Dr S N Jha, honourary consultant, ophthalmology, said that the procedure would become cheaper once the catheter starts getting manufactured in India.