Health Tech World hears from the co-founder and CEO of tech startup, Mediwhale which is using AI-enabled retina scans to detect diseases before it’s too late.
Sitting across from his opthalmologist, Kevin Choi received a shocking blow.
Despite only being 24 years old, he had lost 60 per cent of his vision from advanced glaucoma.
If it had been diagnosed and treated earlier, he could have saved his vision.
“I had no symptoms, I had no clue about it,” Choi told Health Tech World. “It was unexpected.”
Despite living in a country known for its excellent public health service, Choi’s story is all too common. It is estimated that half of glaucoma cases worldwide are undiagnosed. The symptoms start slowly, developing over time.
As a result, most patients are completely unaware of their condition until it is too late.
The disease causes sight loss and often blindness in more severe cases.