<p>On Deepavali, Jayasurya, 19, wore goggles when he lit the fuse of ‘Laxmi Bomb’. Little did he expect that the exploding bomb would shatter his goggles and irreversibly damage his eye.</p>.<p>“We have operated on him as his eye had significant structural damage. As of now, only the contour of the eye is maintained by sutures,” said Dr Sujatha Rathod, director of Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, where Jayasurya has been admitted. Extensive damage to his retina and nerves means he may completely lose sight, Dr Sujatha added.</p>.<p>The hospital had 15 cases of eye injuries from Deepavali firecrackers so far, mostly children and youth. Only six of the patients had burst crackers themselves; the other nine were bystanders or passersby, says Dr Sujatha.</p>.<p>Other than Jayasurya, a five-year-old patient at the hospital also has a grievous eye injury caused by a misdirected ‘rocket’. Since the child has facial burns as well, he has been admitted to the burns ward of the adjoining Victoria Hospital. “His cornea has chemical deposits that we are removing and washing. The injuries are superficial, so he should be able to recover vision, but we can be sure only after a few days.”</p>.<p>Of the other 13 patients, five have partial vision loss. “Some of them have bleeding both in the eye and the posterior segment such as the retina. So, we will have to follow up and see whether there’s any structural damage. Depending on this, they may recover or continue to have partial vision loss.” </p>.<p>Unlike other types of eye injuries, those caused by firecrackers have multiple components — the mechanical impact and heat from the explosion, along with chemicals in the crackers. This makes recovery difficult, doctors said.</p>.<p>Sankara Eye Hospital, too, has had around 16 cases so far. Two of the patients — aged eight and 24 — had grievous injuries and underwent surgeries. “In these cases, vision can’t fully recover, and they may need multiple surgeries. We have just repaired their eyes as of now because the entire eye was ruptured. Both of them burst crackers by themselves,” says Dr Pallavi Joshi, consultant, Sankara Eye Hospital.</p>.<p>Both Dr Sujatha and Dr Pallavi are expecting more cases. “On Deepavali, children are supervised. But afterwards, they are left unattended even as they continue to burst crackers, which results in more injuries,” said Dr Pallavi.</p>.<p>Other city hospitals are also reporting eye injuries. Dr Aruna Ramesh from MS Ramaiah Medical College said a nine-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man have been treated for minor eye injuries at the hospital.</p>.<p>At Aster CMI, a child who injured his eye when burning sparklers was treated, said consultant Dr Shailesh Shetty.</p>
<p>On Deepavali, Jayasurya, 19, wore goggles when he lit the fuse of ‘Laxmi Bomb’. Little did he expect that the exploding bomb would shatter his goggles and irreversibly damage his eye.</p>.<p>“We have operated on him as his eye had significant structural damage. As of now, only the contour of the eye is maintained by sutures,” said Dr Sujatha Rathod, director of Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, where Jayasurya has been admitted. Extensive damage to his retina and nerves means he may completely lose sight, Dr Sujatha added.</p>.<p>The hospital had 15 cases of eye injuries from Deepavali firecrackers so far, mostly children and youth. Only six of the patients had burst crackers themselves; the other nine were bystanders or passersby, says Dr Sujatha.</p>.<p>Other than Jayasurya, a five-year-old patient at the hospital also has a grievous eye injury caused by a misdirected ‘rocket’. Since the child has facial burns as well, he has been admitted to the burns ward of the adjoining Victoria Hospital. “His cornea has chemical deposits that we are removing and washing. The injuries are superficial, so he should be able to recover vision, but we can be sure only after a few days.”</p>.<p>Of the other 13 patients, five have partial vision loss. “Some of them have bleeding both in the eye and the posterior segment such as the retina. So, we will have to follow up and see whether there’s any structural damage. Depending on this, they may recover or continue to have partial vision loss.” </p>.<p>Unlike other types of eye injuries, those caused by firecrackers have multiple components — the mechanical impact and heat from the explosion, along with chemicals in the crackers. This makes recovery difficult, doctors said.</p>.<p>Sankara Eye Hospital, too, has had around 16 cases so far. Two of the patients — aged eight and 24 — had grievous injuries and underwent surgeries. “In these cases, vision can’t fully recover, and they may need multiple surgeries. We have just repaired their eyes as of now because the entire eye was ruptured. Both of them burst crackers by themselves,” says Dr Pallavi Joshi, consultant, Sankara Eye Hospital.</p>.<p>Both Dr Sujatha and Dr Pallavi are expecting more cases. “On Deepavali, children are supervised. But afterwards, they are left unattended even as they continue to burst crackers, which results in more injuries,” said Dr Pallavi.</p>.<p>Other city hospitals are also reporting eye injuries. Dr Aruna Ramesh from MS Ramaiah Medical College said a nine-year-old boy and a 39-year-old man have been treated for minor eye injuries at the hospital.</p>.<p>At Aster CMI, a child who injured his eye when burning sparklers was treated, said consultant Dr Shailesh Shetty.</p>