Clydebank man Jim Graham's cornea transplant 'life-changing'

Jim Graham from Clydebank can see again following cornea transplants

Jim Graham was almost completely blind before he underwent cornea transplant surgery, he says.

The 79-year-old, from Clydebank, lost his sight over a period of 13 years because of a condition called corneal dystrophy.

He even missed seeing his first ever hole-in-one on the golf course.

Cornea donations are falling in Scotland, so Mr Graham wants to share his story in an effort to encourage people to join the donor register.

He had his first transplant in December 2016, and the second a year later.

'97% success rate'

He sad: "In 2005, I had an operation to remove a cataract in my right eye, but my vision became worse due to the condition corneal dystrophy, which was diagnosed following the operation.

"After my diagnosis, I soldiered on with my left eye, but by 2016 my sight had almost gone completely.

"It was a hard time for me. I'd lost my wife, and losing my vision meant I was very limited in what I could do.

"I'd never heard of a cornea transplant, but my consultant explained it had a 97% success rate. The first transplant was done under local anaesthetic and I couldn't believe how good my sight was once the eye opened up. To get the second transplant a year on was life-changing."

Jim is back playing golf, reading, and driving

Mr Graham did manage to keep playing golf before the surgery, but needed a lot of help from friends.

Speaking in support of World Sight Day, he said: "Prior to the transplants, my friends had to guide me round the golf course, telling me where my ball had gone and where the flags were located on the greens.

"Surprisingly I had my first hole-in-one during this time, and had to be told the ball was in the hole.

"To be able to be back golfing, driving, and reading with ease is simply amazing. I'll certainly not miss my next hole in one, if it ever happens again.

A total of 339 cornea transplants were carried out in Scotland in 2017/18, using corneas from donors who have died.

But figures show the number of cornea donations in Scotland fell by 18% compared to the previous year.