Woman’s Vision Saved After Skin Cancer On Eyelid

Barbara Renda goes to the dermatologist religiously for skin checks, because she’s susceptible for skin cancer. For a year and a half doctors told her a dry patch over her eye was simply that. But this summer a biopsy showed it was cancer. Even though it showed up as a basil cell carcinoma on the surface, the cancer had actually grown inside her skin where it couldn’t be detected. It grew so large it was starting to take over her eyelid on her only functioning eye. (her other eye is a glass eye, she lost vision in that eye from a retinal detachment).

Doctors told her it was possible she would lose her vision as a result. The 77 year old who is heavily involved in her grandchildren’s lives, taking them ice skating, sporting events, etc. was devastated.

When doctors removed the cancer, it essentially left a large hole above her eye roughly the size of a baseball. Harsha Reddy, MD, Oculoplastic Surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary had to do a complicated reconstruction on her eye lid, and try to save her eye and vision. The procedure was successful, and her surgeon calls her recovery miraculous. She is now able to see out of that eye and is so emotional about her progress.