Cataract and Vitrectomy due to Penetrating Injury

This little girl and her family visited us from Argentina. Last year she suffered a penetrating ocular injury to her left eye which resulted in a torn perforated cornea and significant damage to the internal ocular structures within this eye. She underwent cataract and vitrectomy surgeries in her left eye and in addition retinal surgery for a retinal detachment. Repair of the torn cornea required significant suturing. When she entered our office for the first time the visual acuity in her damaged eye was hand motion at just a few inches from her eye. Because of the irregular cornea and exposed sutures on the corneal surface, we are fitting this little girl with a GVR Scleral lens. It is our hope that this lens will protect the healing cornea and neutralize the visual effect of the distorted cornea. In the near term, we expect this lens to improve her visual acuity to about 20/600 or better and in addition to provide her with some peripheral vision. In the lower left photo you can see the scleral lens over the traumatized cornea. In the lower right photo you can see the scar tissue along with the corneal sutures holding the cornea together. Many months (and possibly years) of exams, office visits and lens changes will need to be done before we can know the final vision her left eye will be capable of.