When Hope Seemed Lost, Dr. Assil Restored More Than Just Her Vision

A high-achiever’s world goes dark as polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) hits Merry’s eyes 

By 2024, when the PMR finally subsided, Merry faced a harsh reality: she had also developed uveitis, another serious inflammatory eye condition. Two respected eye surgeons examined her case and delivered the same devastating verdict: her prognosis was “guarded”—medical speak for “we’re not sure we can help you.”

Both surgeons made the same recommendation: “You need to see Dr. Kerry Assil.”

She was losing her sight to a rare disease. Then this ‘once-in-a-decade’ surgery changed everything

At the Assil Gaur Eye Institute, renowned surgeon Dr. Kerry Assil examined Merry’s case—one he describes as so complex you might encounter it “once a decade” in a career spanning over 70,000 eye surgeries.

“What made it difficult was the long-standing inflammation,” Dr. Assil explains. “This caused her to develop severe scars, completely seal her pupil, and raise pressure in the eye. The scar tissue was extremely tenacious and woven into the eye.” While other surgeons hesitated, Dr. Assil saw possibility where others saw only risk.

A surgery like no other

Dr. Assil knew this wouldn’t be a typical 10-minute cataract procedure. He prepared for a painstaking two-hour operation, setting clear expectations: “I knew she would never have a normal-looking pupil. Just optimizing her vision would be a complete success.”

The challenge was huge. Normal eye tissue appears as thin, fragile cellophane that is easily cut during surgery. Merry’s eye tissue had turned into something like leather—thick, tough, and needing a lot of laser energy to get through.

For 120 meticulous minutes, Dr. Assil worked with needle and scissors, carefully unwinding years of scar tissue layer by layer. Finally, he reached and removed both cataracts, then precisely fitted a Bausch + Lomb enVista monofocal lens designed to provide continuous depth of focus.

“The main thing with these complex surgeries is not to lose your composure and go slow,” Dr. Assil reflects. His three decades of experience and unparalleled expertise with intraocular lenses proved invaluable.

The moment when everything changed

When Merry opened her eyes in the recovery room, she experienced something that had seemed impossible just hours before.

“When I looked at the ceiling in the surgery suite and saw light, I started crying,” she remembers.

The transformation was nothing short of miraculous. Immediately after surgery, Merry’s vision measured 20/1000—still severely impaired but a dramatic improvement from complete light perception loss. Two weeks later, her eye pressure had normalized, and her vision had improved to 20/30—a staggering 300-fold improvement.

“It was the weirdest adventure,” Merry says, her joy unmistakable. Dr. Assil’s assessment was equally optimistic: “We are quite pleased. There was no corneal swelling.” Now he’s planning the same careful approach for her left eye.

Why this story should matter to you

Merry’s journey illustrates something profound about the care you’ll receive at Assil Gaur Eye Institute: when your case seems impossible, when others turn away, this is where hope lives.

Dr. Kerry Assil offers more than just technical skill in every procedure—he provides courage, innovation, and a steadfast dedication to his patients’ vision. With over 70,000 successful surgeries and contributions to more than 100 medical publications, he has gained industry-wide respect as a leader in cataract and refractive surgery.

Dr. Avneet Gaur, his distinguished partner, is a Board-Certified, Fellowship-Trained Specialist whose expertise in cataract, refractive, and glaucoma care was cultivated at nationally renowned institutions.

Together, they’ve assembled a team of top ophthalmologists from across the country, offering the highest quality specialized eye care in the United States. Despite their world-class credentials, they foster a warm, family-like atmosphere that puts patients at ease during their most vulnerable moments.

Your vision deserves the highest level of care

Whether you’re dealing with cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, LASIK surgery, or complex issues like Merry’s, you deserve surgeons who see opportunities where others see obstacles. You deserve the expertise that comes from over 40 years of combined experience and a dedication to advancing ophthalmology.

Most importantly, you deserve the chance to experience your own “moment of light.”

Assil Gaur Eye Institute serves patients throughout Southern California, including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.

In addition to refractive lens exchange and cataract surgery, the ophthalmology experts at AGEI are nationally recognized for their eye care and treatment options for a full range of conditions, including eye conditions such as hyperopia glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment (and other diseases of the retina), cornea conditions, contact lens, floaters and flashes, dry eye, presbyopia, astigmatism, farsightedness, myopia, nearsightedness, and ‌other vision correction procedures (refractive surgery) such as LASIK surgery, PRK.

Ready to explore what’s possible for your vision? Call now or request your appointment online.