Wire in one eye, twig in the other; ‘GMCH’ saves two eyesights

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

While playing, a piece of iron wire lying on the ground pierced the eye of one child, while a tamarind twig injured the eye of another. Both girls were just five years old. The eye injuries were so severe that, without timely treatment, there was a serious risk of permanent loss of vision. However, both children were admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on the same day, and the ophthalmology department performed emergency surgeries on Friday, successfully saving the eyesight of both girls.

In the first incident, a five-year-old girl from Misarwadi suffered a serious eye injury when an iron wire lying on the ground went straight into her eye while she was playing, causing severe damage to the eyeball. As immediate surgery was required, doctors at GMCH raced against time and successfully operated on her.

In the second incident, a five-year-old girl was playing under a tamarind tree at Shendurwada when a tamarind fell from the tree and struck her eye, causing a severe injury. Examination revealed that a wooden twig was lodged in the eye. As the twig was stuck in an extremely delicate area, even a minor error could have caused permanent damage to the child’s eye. Doctors immediately performed surgery and removed the twig.

Under the guidance of dean Dr Shivaji Sukre, the surgeries were successfully performed by cornea specialist Dr Mahesh Sonpetkar, with the support of ophthalmology department head Dr Archana Vare, Dr Tapan Jakkal, and Dr Venukumar Rangu. The anaesthesia team, guided by head of the anaesthesia department Dr Gayatri Tadwalkar, included Dr Ganesh Nikam, Dr Amer Syed, Dr Niyati Sethi, and Dr Akash. Staff nurses Kalindi Idhate, Vikas Gaikwad, Yamuna Munde, Sonali Gaikwad, Geeta Gite, and Rupali Rasne also played an important role in the treatment process.

Let children play, but stay alert

Children should be encouraged to play, but special attention must be paid to the safety of their eyes. Even an injury that appears minor can be extremely dangerous for vision. Preventing accidents is the best solution.

— Dr Archana Vare, head, ophthalmology department, GMCH

photo:

Doctors from the ophthalmology department with one of the children after surgery.