A YOUNG boy's routine eye exam quickly turned into a dramatic dash to hospital for life-saving surgery.

Alan Watson, 12, suffers from hydrocephalus, a condition characterised by extra fluid on the brain, and meant he had a shunt fitted at birth.

When he attended at his local Optical Express for an annual check-up, the optometrist Amna Bashir noticed blurred margins on comparison of previous fundus photos.

As a precaution, she called the hospital and arranged for Alan to be seen that day.

Doctors found the youngster's shunt had broken and scheduled him for theatre within 24 hours.

The youngster's family have since praised the optometrist's thorough analysis of the abnormalities in his eye exam, which, if undetected, could have been fatal.

Alan's mother, Carmen Anderson, said there were no obvious signs that anything was seriously wrong, reasoning that his fatigue and headaches were down to him being a typical pre-teen.

She said: "The optician has saved Alan's life. Everything has happened so fast, I've been on autopilot these last few weeks and I feel like I've not had chance to process everything that's happened.

"It's been a worrying time for our family and it's so frightening to think what could have happened if this hadn't been spotted earlier.

"If I hadn't received the reminder that he was due his yearly check-up, who knows how long it would have been before it was detected."

Alan, of Cameron Toll in Edinburgh, has since started his second year of high school.

His story is being used to highlight the importance of regular eye exams, as National Eye Health Week kicks off today.

Stephen Hannan, clinical services director of Optical Express, added: "Situations like Alan's seriously highlight the importance of ensuring children regularly attend their eye tests.

"Alan was asymptomatic, which means he wasn't showing anything to suggest there was an internal problem. Annual eye examinations, as a minimum, are in the best interests of all children."

He added: "We are very proud of Amna for detecting these early symptoms, so that Alan was able to be treated as early as possible.

"We'd urge all parents to make sure their children attend regular eye tests at their local clinic."

For more information on National Eye Health Week, visit visionmatters.org.uk