Successful removal of a penetrating fish hook eye injury via modified advance-and-cut technique

Abstract

Barbed fish hook injuries to the eye are rare but can be serious, especially in children. We report the case of a 10-year-old boy who sustained a penetrating eye injury from a barbed hook. The hook entered the outer edge of his cornea, passed through the iridocorneal angle, and exited the sclera 5 mm from the limbus. On arrival, his best-corrected visual acuity was 0.8(Snellen decimal). Under general anesthesia, a modified advance-and-cut technique was used to remove the hook by guiding the barb through the scleral exit site, avoiding intraocular damage. The corneal and scleral wounds were sutured, and a bandage contact lens was applied to support healing. His recovery was smooth, and his vision improved to 1.0 ten days after suture removal, seven months post-injury. This case shows how a thoughtful surgical approach can effectively treat complex ocular injuries in children and highlights the importance of timely and precise intervention.