COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — Carson Smith, a 16-year-old junior at Colonial Heights High School, recently underwent brain surgery after a routine eye exam revealed a serious health issue. What initially began as an appointment to get new glasses turned into a life-changing diagnosis of a benign tumor attached to his optic nerve and artery.
After discussing the need for new glasses with his mom, Carson had an eye exam that revealed alarming results.
"I thought it was just prescription needed renewing cause it had been about a year and a half since we’d gone,” he said. However, during the exam, Carson discovered something was wrong. "My right eye was pretty normal and I covered my left eye, maybe just a little fuzzy. Then we came to a point where I needed to cover my right eye. I couldn’t see the whole chart at all."
"He was really comfortable the whole time, and just when he’s really not seeing anything out of that eye, makes you a little bit nervous,” Optometrist Dr. Michael Polo said.
Within hours, specialists were contacted, and by April 7, an MRI was scheduled.
When the MRI results came back, the news was difficult to process.
“There’s no easy way to break news that you have a tumor in your brain,” Carson said. The tumor was the size of a golf ball, prompting an urgent hospital admission just days later.
Last Thursday morning, Carson went into surgery to remove the tumor. Three hours later, the operation was a success.
"They took out about 90 percent of the mass, pretty much to kinda hollow it out to relieve the pressure on the optic nerve,” Carson said. The remaining tumor, however, was risky to remove, as it was adhered to both the optic nerve and carotid artery.
"Taking any more would risk permanent blindness or stroke," Carson said.
Carson was discharged from the hospital three days after surgery. He emphasized the importance of regular eye exams, advising both students and parents.
“I recommend everyone should get regular eye exams because they really can catch a lot of things which surprise a lot of people,” he said.
Dr. Polo echoed this sentiment, stating that regular eye exams are as crucial as appointments with any other medical specialist. "Just because you might not know you have an issue, just if you never cover up one eye and know you can’t see anything out of that eye, you know you might think it’s normal as a kid,” he explained.
As Carson continues his recovery, he reports improvement in his eyesight and remains optimistic about his future.
“I’m doing pretty well, I’m getting close to feeling normal which is pretty crazy for two weeks ago having brain surgery,” he said.
With several follow-up doctor visits ahead, Carson is determined to pursue his goal of becoming a meteorologist.
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