A 12-year-old boy mangled his eye badly in a horrifying accident when playing with a Swiss Army Knife in school. The sharp edge of the blade penetrated his right eye below the eyelid. Parts of his eye popped out, leading to excessive bleeding and vision loss, giving the face a grotesque appearance.

The boy named Raghav (identity changed), hailing from Mulund, was rushed by his parents to hospitals nearby where the doctors recommended immediate removal of the eye. The boy was finally taken to Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital in Wadala, Mumbai, which specializes in trauma injuries to the eye.

Said Padmashri Prof. Dr. S. Natarajan, Chief of Vitreoretinal Services at Aditya Jyot Hospital who led a team of eye surgeons that operated upon the young patient in January this year. “Upon arrival, the boy’s eyeball was giving the appearance of a crushed tomato. It had both visible and hidden injuries, with parts of the eye protruding out. It was a very complex case and a race against time to save the boy’s eye.“

He added, “We conducted a very delicate and intricate procedure aimed at preserving the integrity of the eye. It involved complex manoeuvres including suturing to seal perforations and meticulous exploration behind the globe to address hidden injuries. Despite facing significant challenges such as profuse bleeding around and behind the eye, our team managed to repair the badly smashed eye back to its original shape. Our goal was to preserve the eye at any cost, and we managed to achieve that successfully. The surgery lasted one hour and 20 minutes.”

Dr. S. Natarajan said, “The case was not just about physical restoration of the eye but also saving the young patient from life-long psychological trauma if his eye had to be removed. I am happy to report that Raghav is now expected to resume a normal life like earlier, free from the burden of lifelong treatment for visual impairment. Although additional surgeries may be required in the future, the prognosis is optimistic, offering hope for a bright future for him. Can there be a greater satisfaction than giving a young boy his eye back.”

The parents of the boy are overwhelmed at the success of the surgery.Said the boy’s father, “Seeing the horrifying condition my boy was in, with parts of his eye hanging out, I had lost all hope. It was heart-breaking to see this accident in my son who is yet to enter teenage. I thank the doctors of Aditya Jyot Hospital from the bottom of my heart for giving Raghav his life back.”