News

A Punch Leaves a Beautiful Star in a Man’s Eye

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Apr 04, 2013 10:59 AM EDT

Horrible events can leave lasting effects on a human's mental and physical wellbeing. Luckily for an Austrian man, instead of losing his eye sight completely, a punch in the face left him with a beautiful star-like cataract. Despite needing surgery for the condition, which was worsening months after the attack, the man's eye is quite a sight to be seen.

The 55-year-old Austrian man, who remained unnamed, reportedly sought medical treatment for his vision. According to sources, he was punched in the eye nine months ago and ever since three months after the incident, his vision in that particular eye has gotten worse. The doctors reported that he suffered from the formation of a cataract, which developed most likely from the pressure of the hit. 

The man underwent a procedure called phacoemulsification, in which the doctors used sound waves to break down certain opaque areas of the lens in the eye. These opaque parts were then removed using a vacuum, and implanting artificial lens repairs the lens. Cataract surgeries are one of the common surgeries in the world and the U.S. alone reports to performing 2 million of these procedures per year.

Dr. Mark Fromer from the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not a part of this man's recovery process, stated that cataracts often form from punches or sports-related injuries in which the face might be hit by balls or other athletes. Dr. Fromer, who is an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon for the New York Rangers hockey team, describes that when the contact is made on the eyeball, the amount of power that the hit places on the sensitive eye sends shock waves throughout the eye, which can result in the damage of the lens, forming cataracts that resemble clouds that are white or yellowish.

After seeing an image of the man's eye, Dr Fromer commented, "Nature has made a beautiful cataract. Most aren't so pretty."

The incident was reported by the New England Journal of Medicine

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics