Corneal Foreign Body Removal at Medivet Godstone Referrals
Peggy- 1 year female neutered DSH
Peggy was seen by her local vet for a sore eye. A corneal foreign body with a penetrating thorn was quickly identified, and she was referred to MGR as an emergency. Although the offending thorn was small, it was deeply embedded in the cornea, penetrating the anterior chamber. This can make for a tricky removal. Fortunately, there was no iris nor lens contact. Surgery was performed that afternoon, using our operating microscope, and the thorn was gently removed. The cornea was sutured and leak tested. The cornea healed well, and Peggy resumed her exciting adventures outside!
Clinical presentation:
- Right eye mild blepharospasm
- Small amount of mucoid discharge
- Moderate conjunctivitis
- Thorn fully embedded and penetrating the cornea, the tip of the thorn within the anterior chamber had a small amount of pale fibrin adhered to it
- Relatively miotic pupil
Referring vet had given medications prior to transfer:
- Cefovecin injection
- Meloxicam injection
- Buprenorphine injection
Blood testing was normal
Surgery:
Under a general anaesthetic, the right eye was prepared for surgery, including clipping the lateral canthal area of hair, followed by a sterile skin and ocular surface preparation with a diluted iodine and saline protocol. Importantly, lubrication of the eye was maintained throughout the procedure with sterile saline.
A small corneal incision was made immediately adjacent to the embedded thorn, deep enough to enable manipulation of the thorn. Using two needles, positioned perpendicular to the thorn, the end was gently grasped and coaxed back out of the cornea.