Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital Opens Pinhole Pupilloplasty Centre in Alwarpet

Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital in Alwarpet has opened a dedicated centre for a surgical procedure that restores vision without requiring corneal transplantation in select patients. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay inaugurated the facility on Wednesday.

The procedure, termed pinhole pupilloplasty, was developed by Dr Amar Agarwal, chairperson and managing director of the hospital, alongside his colleagues. The treatment is designed for patients suffering from corneal scars, irregular corneas, or optical aberrations resulting from earlier surgeries—conditions that cause blurred or distorted vision but do not necessarily require a complete tissue transplant.

Globally, approximately 12.7 million people are currently waiting for corneal transplants, while only one donor cornea is available for every 70 people in need. The newly opened centre aims to offer an alternative for qualifying patients affected by this shortage.

During pinhole pupilloplasty, surgeons utilize a specialized suture technique to reduce the size of the pupil from its normal diameter of around 5mm down to between 1mm and 1.5mm. Operating on the principle of a pinhole camera, the smaller opening effectively blocks scattered light caused by irregular sections of the cornea. This allows only straighter, focused light rays to reach the retina, improving visual clarity.

Clinical research supports the surgical technique. In a study of 25 eyes with corneal scars published in 2026, the procedure demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both uncorrected and corrected vision, without causing any post-operative alterations to the shape of the cornea.