Intraocular foreign body and traumatic cataract removal 65 years after penetrating trauma

Abstract

We report a case of successful intraocular foreign body/traumatic cataract removal and anterior segment reconstruction surgery of a patient’s eye that suffered penetrating injury 65 years earlier. Surgery was not recommended by ophthalmologists that she had earlier consulted. The patient opted for surgery to improve cosmesis due to leukocoria, but the level of regained vision exceeded expectations of both the patient and the surgeon. This case adds further evidence that the duration of occlusion time has no effect on visual potential in patients out of amblyogenic age. The ethical considerations of operating on such an eye with poor prognosis after traumatic injury are also discussed. To our knowledge, our patient has the longest reported duration (65 years) between the time of injury and successful surgery with good outcome.