The 30-year-old broke multiple bones in his face and the bone around the eyeballs affecting vision
Dubai: A 30-year-old biomedical technician from Mauritius, Abdellahi Boye, was over the phone speaking to his native friends when he accidentally fell from the top of a bunker bed. He crashed to the ground with the left side of his face hitting a wooden table.
Writhing in pain, he rolled on the floor before managing to be up on his feet. Looking at the mirror, he found he had severely hurt his face and eyes. The pain was excruciating, yet it did not occur to him that he had fractured the bones in his face and even damaged his left eye. He did not go to a hospital and decided to stay at home.
“The pain was unbearable. I cursed myself for my carelessness. I could not even touch the injured side of my face. I felt like some heavy object crushed the side of my face. The injured area had swollen, and there was blood in the eye. I thought the swelling was due to contusion, and resting for two days would help it,” said Abdellahi.
I was frightened to go to a hospital, he added. “I know my condition was bad. It was becoming worse with each passing day. I could not even open my mouth. For the next three days, I was only on liquids. Even that was becoming difficult for me. I could not bear the pain anymore. My vision started to blur, and I started getting a severe headache. Seeing my condition worsening, my friends took me to the hospital,” he recalled. 
Facial fractures and damage to the eye
Abdellahi’s friends took him to Aster Hospital, Mankhool, where Dr Renju Prem, specialist oral and maxillofacial surgery, attended to him.
Seeing the injury on his face, Dr Renju ordered for a CT scan, which revealed Abdellahi had suffered multiple fractures on the left maxillofacial region combined with fracture of the orbit of the left eye.
According to the radiological investigations, there were multiple fractures of bones in the left zygomaticomaxillary region and the orbital floor with nerve entrapment.
“The damage to the nerve may have resulted in blurring of vision/double vision which would be challenging to correct if there is a delay in treatment. There were chances that he would have later developed masticatory issues with limited mouth opening as a result of multiple fractures. It called for multidisciplinary approach. There were comminuted fractures, and only surgery could restore the correct facial form and function. The fracture of the orbital floor was managed by reconstructing it with titanium mesh to restore the orbital volume and function under the supervision of Dr Vikram Mohindra, specialist ophathalomogy at Aster Hospital, Mankhool,” said Dr Renju.
Abdellahi got discharged on day two post-surgery. “I am thankful to Dr Renju and the medical team at Aster Hospital, Mankhool, for giving me the best care and treatment. They guided me throughout the recovery journey. I never realized that I had met with such a severe accident and feared the accident would lead to any facial distortions or injury to my eye. The doctors managed it very well. I would be grateful to them for the rest of my life,” added Abdellahi.
