The woman, from China, was going in for a completely different procedure at the time
Health professionals have raised alarms for contact lens users after an alarming and surprising incident came to light.
A 33-year-old woman, who appeared otherwise healthy, visited a medical facility in China to discuss potential plastic surgery options.
Unbeknownst to her, she had five contact lenses trapped behind her eye.
Her intent for the surgery stemmed from self-consciousness regarding facial asymmetry caused by a different health issue.
She was seeking the procedure to achieve a more symmetrical appearance for her eyes and had no other apparent concerns.
Initially, doctors failed to identify any problems and recommended a fat injection under sedation to enhance the volume of her left eye.
The woman initially went to the doctors to enquire about plastic surgery for an unrelated issue(Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
It wasn’t until they examined her more thoroughly that they became aware of the hidden issue. Quite startling, indeed.
During the fat injection procedure, ‘several transparent contact lenses emerged from the upper fornix’, as noted in a medical publication in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
The physicians reported the occurrence as quite ‘rare’ and cautioned that individuals with hemifacial atrophy might face increased risks when using contacts.
According to the report: “Upon double eversion of the left upper eyelid, five soft contact lenses were located.
“Post-operation, it was confirmed the patient had been wearing contacts for many years. She recalled losing her left lens several times in the past. Remarkably, she had not experienced any ocular problems before this surgical intervention.”
The report further indicated that patients with this condition had a heightened risk of lenses becoming displaced and getting trapped in the gap between the eye and eyelid.
Impressively, this isn’t the first instance of such a scenario…
The five contact lenses found behind her eye…(Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
In the U.S., Dr. Kurteeva shared a tale on social media about a patient from whom more than 20 contact lenses had to be extracted.
The patient had felt discomfort in her eye, prompting the ophthalmologist to search for the cause of her pain.
To her astonishment, a total of 23 contact lenses were found, and the removal process was as unsettling as it sounds.
The accompanying video was titled “Don’t sleep in your contact lenses” and explained that the patient often forgot to remove her lenses before bedtime, leading her to wear new ones daily. Ouch!
Featured Image Credit: Wolters Kluwer Health
