Harry: Hydrocephalus means excessive water in the brain.

Moosa: Yes, the doctors put in a shunt in my brain.

Harry: That's right, to drain off the excessive water. That's the standard treatment.

Moosa: For the past 25 years I haven't had a problem with it. But apparently about a year ago I had a problem and the shunt blocked, which caused damage to the optic nerve.

Harry: Yes, the optic nerve is in direct communication with the brain. So if there is an increase in pressure on the brain as the direct result of water because the shunt blocked, the increase in pressure is transmitted to the optic nerve and can therefore cause some disturbance of vision. Now the answer to that is to unblock the shunt. In other words you reduce the pressure, take the pressure off the optic nerve and then hopefully you'll be able to see well again.

Moosa: But due to the blockage which was left for quite some time, they told me that the nerves got damaged.

Harry: Yes, unfortunately if you're going to intervene you obviously have to do it sooner rather than later. If you've waited too long then you may now have damage to the nerve, and that may be permanent.

Moosa: So is there no medication for this, as such.

Harry: Not from the cause that we've now described. But the eye specialists who have examined you will be the best people to tell you whether there is any hope that vision can return.