Breakdown of Injuries and Their Consequences in Previously Operated Eyes

Aim. To analyze injuries and their consequences in patients who previously underwent eye surgery.Materials and Methods. We carried out a retrospective analysis of case histories of 34 patients (35 eyes) who had previously undergone ophthalmic surgery and were re-hospitalized due to an eye injury sustained between several days to 23 years after surgery. There were 18 male and 16 female patients; 59% of them were of retirement age.Results . Half of the patients sustained injuries within 6 months after surgery. Fifteen patients sought medical attention on the same date. Civilian traumas prevailed and occurred in 33 patients; 10 patients out of them sustained criminal injury. Polytrauma occured in 4 patients. Primary blast injury occurred in 3% of patients, while secondary and tertiary blast injuries occurred in 14% and 83% of patients respectively. Intraocular infection developed in 6% of the injured patients and 33 eyes required an emergency surgical treatment. Visual acuity depended on the severity of the injury and its baseline after previous surgical treatment. On admission, blindness and low spatial vision were diagnosed in 85% cases and persisted at discharge in 77% of cases. Hypotension diagnosed in 83% of cases persisted at discharge in 31% of cases. After maximum access surgeries, especially extracapsular cataract extractions, a tertiary blast injury was discovered in 22 eyes. In these patients, visual acuity was below 0.09 (decimal system); at discharge, it remained the same in 73% of patients. Further rehabilitation was indicated for 80% of patients.Summary. Injuries of the previously operated eyes were blast-induced and had a varying severity. Their occurrence in male and female patients was roughly equivalent. Injuries occurred more often in patients of retirement age; for the most part, they were sustained during off the job circumstances. Patients requested for ophthalmological treatment late and required a long-term medical and social rehabilitation as their injuries were accompanied by a significant decrease in visual functions.