SFA boss underwent emergency sight-saving surgery after eye check by Rutherglen optician reveals detached retina

SFA chief Ian Maxwell faced a 24-hour train trip to watch the national team play Germany after discovering he needed emergency surgery for a detached retina.

The football boss attended an opticians in Rutherglen after realising something was wrong with his vision in the lead-up to the European Championship Finals during the summer.

He’d noticed a shadow in his field of vision but kept making excuses not to have it checked but realised his body was telling him something wasn’t right.

Ian said: “I was supposed to be heading over to Germany with the team for two weeks for the Euros, but I remember being at Hampden thinking, you know what? There’s an opticians five minutes away, I’ll get checked out – so I went to Specsavers in Rutherglen.

“I was given eye drops to dilate my pupils and tests showed my peripheral vision was really reduced, and I was told I had a detached retina. Within a day I’d been whisked in for surgery. It was frightening but amazing how quickly it was dealt with.

“The consultant told me if I’d left it even a few weeks longer it would have been much harder to fix. In fact, there comes a point where it can’t be fixed and you can lose your sight.”

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He was sent immediately to Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride. Due to the severity of the retinal detachment, he was referred to specialists at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow and underwent emergency surgery at 8am the next day.

Ian knew then that he might struggle to make the Euros, but realised that his sight and the surgery had to come first. He continued: “I asked myself what was more important – to be able to see out of both eyes or to be at the Euros – and the answer was clear."

His surgery included the insertion of a gas bubble into his eye which pushes against the retina and aids healing. For five hours after surgery he had to remain face-down, and was required to lie on his side for a week to aid healing.

Ian consulted with his doctors, who agreed he could go to Germany for Scotland’s opening but was unable to fly due to the gas bubble in his eye.

He boarded a train from Croy to Edinburgh, on to London King’s Cross for a quick overnight stay before boarding an early train from St Pancras to Paris, then on to Stuttgart and finally to Munich.

After watching Scotland play, he had to make the same epic journey back home to attend a hospital appointment, meaning he had to watch the team’s second game against Switzerland on TV.

However, he did return to Germany for the Scotland v Hungary clash.

He added: “I think I’ve maybe had one eye test before that I can remember. I now understand that it’s more than just a vision check and opticians can tell so much more from looking at your eyes – it’s mind boggling just now much they can see and treat these days.

“Experiences like this definitely make you think. There’s always a bit of bravado, particularly among men I think, when it comes to getting health advice. But if anything doesn’t feel right get it checked out, whether it’s your eyes or any other part of your body.”

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Sarah Freel, optometrist and director at Specsavers in Rutherglen, said: ‘We recommend eye examinations every two years even if things feel normal, and if you have any concerns or notice any changes in the interim, don’t hesitate to make an appointment.

“In some circumstances time really is of the essence and the sooner you seek advice, the better it is for your visual outcome. If Ian had left things any longer he could have lost his vision in that eye.”

Ian’s healing process is expected to take around six months and he is well on the road to recovery. He has been diagnosed with a cataract, which can be common after this type of surgery, but is grateful the Rutherglen opticians have their eye on the ball.

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