Back in action
Surgeon helps patient get back to living life to the fullest
When Vincent Barbieri retired he started living his life
the way he wanted. He chauffeured at events, happily
taking guests from destination to destination. And he
loved to fish, going anywhere from Canada to Georgia
to reel in the best catch.
But then, something
unexpected happened.
Barbieri’s favorite
hobbies, and even daily
tasks, were being cast
in a visual haze. When
he drove, he always thought his windshield was dirty.
He’d clean it, wiping it thoroughly, hop back in and
start driving—only to realize it wasn’t any better.
Barbieri knew it was time to seek help.
which is a progressive, degenerative disease of the
corneal endothelium—and can lead to blindness if left
untreated.
Dr. Cervantes determined Barbieri would need a cornea
transplant to save his sight. The idea was terrifying to
Barbieri, but trusting his
physician, he underwent
a Descemet’s membrane
endothelial keratoplasty
(DMEK) transplant on his left
eye in the spring of 2015.
“...after going through it, I was
excited the second time around.”
Following a recommendation, Barbieri, a Naugatuck
resident, visited Dr. Lorenzo Cervantes at Opticare in
Waterbury and was diagnosed with Fuchs’ dystrophy,
The results were so positive he couldn’t wait to go back
for the right eye six months later.
“I had no idea what the procedure was going to be the
first time,” said Barbieri. “But after going through it, I
was excited the second time around. You’re not in any
pain, and you’re actually cooperating as Dr. Cervantes
tells you to look to the left, look to the right, keep still.”
Fall 2016 | V I S I O N | Page 6
0929_CT-VISION-Fall2016.indd 6
10/13/16 11:39 AM