Hyderabad: Poet-activist Varavara Rao who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, successfully underwent intraocular lens implant (IOL) cataract surgery at Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital here on Saturday.
The Bombay High Court permitted him to travel to Hyderabad from Mumbai for the procedure last week. He attended an eye assessment on October 4.
The hospital’s surgeon and superintendent Dr V Rajalinga spoke to the media about the surgery’s success. “The surgery was phaco with multifocal foldable IOL, and it was successful,” adding, “Rao cooperated effectively with the suture-less topical anaesthesia. He is currently on post-operative medications.”
In 2018, the 82-year-old was taken into custody for his alleged association with provocative speeches at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in 2017 in Pune.
Earlier this year, he had sought the high court’s permission to travel to Hyderabad for an eye operation. He emphasised that his vision was increasingly compromised due to the maturation of the cataract. Furthermore, Rao argued that in contrast to Mumbai, the procedure and its ensuing care were available at no cost in Hyderabad for those receiving a pension.
