Ocular fish hook injuries.

Purpose: Fishing stands out as a widely enjoyed leisure pursuit. While ocular fishing injuries are infrequent, they carry the potential for severe ocular trauma, and safe extraction of a fish hook can pose challenges. We here in report a series of 21 cases of penetrating injury to the cornea by fish hook, detailing successful surgical interventions employed for their management. The report not only outlines different techniques for the removal of fish hooks but also provides clarification on terminologies associated with various components of a fish hook.

Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted at tertiary eye care centers in South India. Our hospitals cater to the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. All medical records of patients who attended the emergency department from the period of 2003 to 2023 were evaluated and all patients with fish hook injury were included in the study. This is the longest and largest study in India.

Results: Twenty-one cases of ocular fish-hook injuries were presented to the emergency room between 2003 and 2023. Patients were between the ages of 9 and 59 years (mean, 29.4 years), and 90.4 % (19 out of 21) were males. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, surgical interventions, and visual outcomes were meticulously documented. Out of 21 cases, three cases (14.3 %) had blunt trauma, 17 cases (80.9 %) had penetrating injury and one case had lid laceration. Patients had better visual outcomes after the second surgery. Out of 21 cases, 7 (33.3 %) had post-operative visual acuity (VA) between 20/20 and 20/40. Three (14.3 %) had post-operative VA between 20/60 and 20/125. Five (23.8 %) had post-operative VA between 20/200 and 20/600. Six cases (28.6 %) had poor visual outcomes of which two had no perception of light (NPL), two had Hand movements and the other two had the perception of light present and projection of rays inaccurate CONCLUSION: This extensive case series underscores the complexity of ocular injuries caused by fish hooks and emphasizes significance of tailored surgical approaches for optimal visual outcomes. The hook can be successfully removed with minimal trauma to ocular structures by understanding structure of fish hook and by employing appropriate method of extraction.