Approximately 500,000 serious eye injuries occur each year; 25,000 lead to total blindness --especially in young adults!

The eyelids, tissue around the eyes, and the bones of the orbit may be damaged by many types of trauma including car accidents, fights, sports injuries, fireworks etc

Effects of eye injury

• Closed globe injury or Non-penetrating trauma: The eye globe is intact, but the seven rings of the eye have been classically described as affected by blunt trauma.
• Penetrating trauma: The globe integrity is disrupted by a full-thickness entry wound and may be associated with prolapse of the internal contents of the eye.
• Perforating trauma: The globe integrity is disrupted in two places due to an entrance and exit wound (through and through injury). This is a quite severe type of eye injury.
• Blowout fracture of the orbit is caused by blunt trauma, classically described for fist or ball injury, leading to fracture of the floor or medial wall of the orbit due to sudden increased pressure on the orbital contents.

Quick attention to the injury as well as possible need for plastic and reconstructive surgery are important to restore the proper function as well as cosmetic appearance.

If the eye is damaged to the extent that it must be removed, an artificial eye may inserted. There is no way to restore vision to the eye in this instance.