Removing a metal foreign body from the cornea (Video)
length: 1:03 minutes
This video shows the removal of metal particle from the surface of the eye using a needle. Metal particles can occur from metal grinding and machine work … the metallic flakes have a tendency to get into hair then fall onto the cornea and stick. This quickly rusts and if not removed soon, can cause extreme pain, infection, and recurrent corneal erosions.
There are many ways to remove foreign bodies like this, though I prefer to use a blunt 18-guage needle. Before any removal you must determine several things:
a. How deep is the body. You don’t want to create a corneal perforation when you take it out!
b. Is there an infiltrate around it? Metal tends to be sterile, but if infected, may require more aggressive antibiotic coverage.
c. How much rust is there? If possible, you want to remove rust rings. However, you can cause more damage if you are overaggressive. Rust will eventually work it’s way to the surface, though the area can develop recurrent erosions.
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fbincornea.wmv (3.0 meg, Windows video file) fbincornea.mov (Quicktime format coming soon)
looks crazy i have a peace in my eye i went to the er and they said i have to go to a eye doctor havent went yet still drives me crazy but that what happens when you dont have health ins hope 2 get it out b-4 i do major dammage…..
Randy,
I recommend seeing an eye doctor as soon as possible. In your case, you may want to find an ophthalmologist (M.D.) so they can prescribe you antibiotics if needed.
I normally don’t give medical advice in this form, but I can absolutely say this:
Do NOT have your friend remove this metal. You need to see an ophthalmologist who can do this under the microscope and judge how deep the material is embeded. The cornea is very thin and you do NOT want to perforate your cornea with a needle. See an eye doctor right away. Today would be best … this is not something you want to wait on! If you really have a piece of metal in the eye, it is already rusting and likely developing a bacterial infiltrate. The sooner you see an eye doctor, the better your long-term visual prognosis.
I had this done last night. It feels a LOT better already. I don’t have that “sand in the eye” feeling anymore. Still really sensitive to light, and feels like the eye is being squeezed really tight. But it DOES feel better. If you have a rust ring……..get it taken care of! That’s my advice!
My husband found out he has a mental in his eye today. I think he had it from last Friday. The doctor sent him to an ophthalmologist to get it out. Will he be able to drive right after its been taken out? How much does it normally cost?
I just had a piece of metal that was buried deep into my cornia taken out yesterday morning. By early this evening, the bandages came off and I felt 100% better. The opthmalogist / surgeon said that I have a small rust ring that will probably be pushed out as a foreign body and a small crater that doesn’t appear to be visible with the naked eye. For the time being, he prescribed an antibiotic drop (tobra-dex) to use 4x a day for 2 weeks. I was able to drive right after the procedure but would not advise it until the bandage comes off because it’s like driving with one eye closed.
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