Doctor saves vision of Pakistani expat hit by a sharp metallic body in the eye

The doctor removed a 4*4mm sharp triangular-shaped metallic body from the left eye

Dubai: An ophthalmologist here at a private hospital has saved the vision of a Pakistani expat by removing a 4*4mm sharp metallic object from his left eye.

A storekeeper working in Sharjah, 37-year-old Anwar Hussain, suffered critical injuries to his eye while fixing a machine at his home.

“It was around 9 pm. I was trying to fix a faulty drilling machine sitting on my bed. Suddenly, something sprung up and hit my left eye. It was excruciatingly painful. Blood was oozing out,” said Hussain.

Seeing blood dripping from Hussain’s eye, his panicked roommates rushed him to Aster Hospital, Qusais, for treatment. He reported to the emergency department of the hospital.

The critical care team quickly referred him to Dr. Boopathy Murugavel, specialist ophthalmology at Aster Hospital, Qusais.

“Hussain was in severe pain when he reported to us. He told me that he was hit by a metallic substance in the eye while fixing a machine. His eye was filled with blood. We had to rule out the possibility of a foreign body inside the eye. We performed an X-ray and ultrasound. The reports revealed the presence of a triangular object in the eye,” said Dr. Boopathy.

The removal of the metallic object was a challenge. According to the doctor, fortunately, the foreign body had not touched his retina. “A minute scar or injury to the centre part of retina might result in complete loss of vision. Also, metallic objects retained in the eyes undergo a chemical reaction and can lead to irreversible vision loss,” he explained.

“The ultrasound scan report showed that the object was around 4*4 mm in size. It was sharp at all ends. There was a risk that it would fall back in the eyes while removing it. But the procedure was a success, and the foreign body was removed without any complication,” added Dr. Boopathy.

After the surgery, Hussain said he is doing well. “I thought nothing had gone inside my eyes. I got scared to learn that a metallic object was inside. I was worried about my vision. A lot of thoughts run through my head at that time. But now, I am happily relieved. Thanks to Dr. Boopathy and the medical team at Aster Hospital, Qusais, for their support and care,” said Hussain.

He got discharged from the hospital two days post the surgery. A follow-up after a week found him doing well and with no issues affecting his vision.