Pune, May 19 (IANS): An eight-minute film on a rare eye surgery bagged the top prize at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery held in San Diego in the US, an official said on Tuesday.

The procedure depicted in the short film is about the treatment of a potentially sight-threatening disease called 'Keratoconus' in which the cornea thins and bulges out, leading to visual deterioration.

It usually starts in childhood or teenage years and is progressive with the only treatment option in its advanced stage, being corneal transplant.

The Nethradhama Eye Hospital (Bangalore) has pioneered a new technique, Femtosecond Intrastromal Lenticule Implantation (FILI).That helps in stabilizing the diseased cornea by improving thickness, strength and shape, leading to enhancement in vision and its quality, besides it being safe in the long run.

The short film category “New Director/Young Physician Award” was created by Screenyug Creations, Pune, and received on behalf of Netradhama Eye Hospital by Dr. Sheetal Brar.

Dr. Sri Ganesh, head of Netradhama, said animation was a major contributor towards the film’s success and helped highlight the scientific concept behind the new technique in a simple and effective manner.

The film combined the efforts of Screenyug Creations team comprising chief mentor Ashish S. K., creative director Vikram Veturi and production architect Anand Pandey.

A total of 22 entries were received from all over the world and were scrutinized by a jury comprising top experts.