Will my son’s eye need to be removed after a pellet gun injury?
SEP 21, 2015
Question:
My 2-year-old grandson got shot with a pellet gun. The pellet was in the eye and after three operations the pellet was removed. His retina is detached and he has choroid detachments. His eye is shrinking and getting smaller. He has no vision in that eye and will need to have a prosthetic (fake) eye. My question is will they need to remove the eye or can they fit a prosthesis over the eye without removing it?
Answer:
Your grandson needs to see an oculoplastic surgeon and an ocularist. If the eye is not painful, it may be possible for a scleral shell to be fit over the damaged eye with a good cosmetic result. If there is too much remaining sensation of the cornea or the eye is too small, surgery (enucleation, removal of entire eye, or evisceration, removing all but the white part of eye) with placement of a sphere with adequate volume to promote orbital growth and development may be recommended. You may also discuss with the surgeon your grandson's risk of a condition called sympathetic ophthalmia (bilateral inflammation that may occur after trauma to the eye).