Birmingham surgeons launch pioneering eye operation

Surgeons in Birmingham have performed what they say is the first operation of its kind in the UK to treat a degenerative eye condition.

The operation, which was pioneered in the USA but now being performed at Birmingham's City Hospital, is designed to combat glaucoma, which can lead to permanent loss of sight.

Imran Masood, a consultant at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, described how the procedure involved inserting a stent the size of an eyelash into the eye and said it was a "significant advance" for their work.

Once in place, it allows fluid to be drained and relieves pressure on the eye.

Joan Ridgard, one of the first patients to undergo the surgery in the UK, said she was hoping she would be able to "get back to my hobbies" following the procedure.