In the Lviv region, doctors saved the eyesight of a tractor driver who nearly went blind due to a rare tumor

Yuriy Halas, a 55-year-old tractor driver from the Lviv region, has almost completely lost sight in his left eye due to a rare tumor that usually occurs in newborns and infants. For years, he ignored his deteriorating vision until working in the fields became extremely difficult. Specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital removed the tumor, and the patient’s vision partially returned the very next day.

According to Yuriy Halas, his vision problems began about five years ago. At the time, doctors suspected that the cause was elevated intraocular pressure in his left eye.

His vision gradually worsened, but the man was in no hurry to seek medical help again. He says he had a lot of work to do and was also caring for his ailing mother.

Eventually, working on a tractor in the field became increasingly difficult. The bright sun and the heat were particularly troublesome.

“It was tough. The sun—especially the heat—was blinding; I couldn’t see anything. And since I was driving the tractor in the field, visibility was poor from one end to the other—it was torture,” said Yuriy Halas.

By the time he finally began undergoing examinations by specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital, his left eye was already protruding.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the doctors detected a tumor in the orbit—the area where the eyeball is located. The tumor was compressing the optic nerve, causing the patient to gradually lose his vision.

The doctors decided to perform surgery. Maxillofacial surgeons and ophthalmologists joined the procedure.

To gain better access to the eye socket and the area where the optic nerve exits, the surgeons cut out a fragment of bone from the left side of the temple. They then carefully separated the tumor from the surrounding tissues and removed it.

At the end of the surgery, the bone fragment was returned to its original position and secured using mini-plates. This procedure is called osteosynthesis.

A histological examination revealed that Yuriy Halas had a capillary hemangioma—a benign vascular tumor. Such growths usually occur in newborns and infants, so the detection of a hemangioma in an adult man is a rare occurrence.

The results of the surgery were noticeable as early as the next day: the patient’s vision in his left eye had partially returned.

Yuriy Halas was delighted, as for the first time in years he was able to see the time on his phone screen again.

Doctors emphasize that the man was fortunate to seek help before the compression of the optic nerve caused irreversible damage. If the tumor had continued to grow, it could have led to complete blindness in his left eye.

He is currently at home and continues to recover from the surgery. His progress is positive, and he is scheduled for a follow-up examination in the near future.

Yuriy Halas hopes that he will eventually be able to return to his job driving a tractor. He also thanked the medical staff for their help and urged people not to neglect their health because of work and everyday responsibilities.

St. Panteleimon Hospital is part of the First Medical Association of Lviv.

This was reported by the First Medical Association of Lviv.

Earlier in Lviv, doctors managed to save 43-year-old Volodymyr from Kyiv, who suffered burns covering approximately 50% of his body as a result of a Russian strike on a tanker in the Odesa region.

In Lviv, doctors treated a 62-year-old resident of Khmelnytskyi who had a critical disruption of blood flow in both legs. The man sought help from specialists at St. Panteleimon Hospital, complaining of severe pain and a sensation of coldness in his lower extremities.