Anantnag, Apr 05: Doctors at the Department of Ophthalmology, GMC Anantnag, successfully removed a piece of nail that was stuck in the eye of a 26-year-old carpenter using a lateral approach to minimize the impact of the injury and prevent vision-threatening complications.
Dr. Rayees Ahmad, Assistant Professor Ophthalmology at GMC Associated Hospital, said that a few days ago, they received three cases of corneal trauma. One of them involved a 26-year-old carpenter who had sustained the injury while working. “He was busy with his work when a nail got stuck in his eye. We operated on him and also documented a video of the removal procedure. Alhamdulillah, the patient is doing better. Such cases were rarely managed locally before,” he said.
He added that previously, trauma cases—whether corneal tears or other eye injuries—were often referred to other hospitals such as GMC Srinagar, JVC, or even outside the state.
“In the last three months alone, we have treated around 22 trauma patients. In 2024, we managed 60 such cases, including 8 children who underwent surgery under general anesthesia. None of them had to be referred elsewhere, except for a few visual emergencies requiring keratoplasty or other procedures which we cannot perform here due to the absence of an eye bank,” he said. “Among the 22 eye trauma cases treated in the last three months, a few involved firecracker-related injuries reported at GMC Anantnag during the Eid celebrations.”
He further said that the department now caters to almost all trauma cases from South Kashmir and adjoining areas. “I’m grateful to the administration for providing us with essential instruments. All our surgeries are done microscopically, and that requires specialized equipment to ensure the best outcomes. Thanks to the support of our worthy principal, every department is being encouraged and uplifted,” he added.
Dr. Showkat Hussain Tali, Media Coordinator at GMC Anantnag, said the surgical team included Dr. Rayees Ahmad (Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology), Dr. Aisha (Senior Resident), Dr. Harshal (Postgraduate Student), and theatre technicians Fayaz Ahmad Parray, Sabzar Ahmad, and Mudasir Ahmad.
He said the timely management of ophthalmic trauma has been impactful under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Yousuf, HoD Ophthalmology. He also thanked the Principal and Dean of GMC Anantnag, Prof. Ruksana Najeeb, and Medical Superintendent of MMABM Associated Hospital, Dr. Arshid Hassan, for their continued support.
