BBC newsreader rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to save eyesight

A BBC newsreader was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to save her eyesight.

Lucy Owen is a familiar face to BBC Wales Today viewers, but recently had to take time away from her job to have emergency surgery on her eyes.

The 52-year-old was at risk of losing her sight after an optician spotted she had a detached retina.

While the surgery was a success, she won’t get her vision back fully for a number of months.

Lucy took to social media to offer her followers a health update once she was back home from hospital.

She wrote: “Thanks so much for your lovely messages, so kind of you. Having to lie on my side for a week and won’t get my vision back for a few months – tricky for autocue!

“But look what I had from my wonderful Wales Today colleagues. So lucky work with such gorgeous people.”

The accompanying picture saw Lucy lying on her side on her sofa with a pillow under her head and her cute dog sitting next to her.

She held a gift box over her poorly eye while a huge bouquet of flowers sat on the coffee table next to her as well as a Get Well Soon card.

The retina is a thin layer at the back of the eye, when that becomes detached it needs to be treated quickly to stop it affecting a person’s eyesight permanently.

Lucy wrote after having the corrective surgery: “Again I need to say a huge thank you to the NHS.

“Going home after Mr Williams and the amazing team @CV_UHB ( Cardiff and Vale University Health Board) stopped me losing sight in my eye with surgery for a detached retina.

“Very grateful to my optician who spotted it and rushed my in. Diolch all. Keep an eye on yours too.”