Gun Shot Wounds

Roughly half of patients visiting emergency departments suffer from some kind of ocular trauma, from minor infections to vision threatening injuries. Gunshot wounds to the eye and orbit can cause severe open and closed ocular injuries. Initial wound closure may help in preserving the globe and allowing surgical rehabilitation in the future. Orbital surgery may be required in cases of infection, orbital wall disruption, or late enophthalmos.

BB guns, airsoft guns, shot gun pellets, and paint gun balls can cause permanent damage or destroy the eye. Corneal abrasion and corneal edema are seen in many cases of airsoft gunshot injury. Shot guns can also cause great damage to the eye and orbit as the pellets can penetrate the human eye. The force associated with air gun pellets can rupture the choroid and retina. Further damage can lead to hemorrhage. Paintball injury can cause blunt trauma to the eye which can be severe enough to destroy the eyeball and cause blindness.

Consequences of eye injury

Gunshot injuries to the eye are usually severe and devastating. Depending on the type of injury, some functional vision may be restored. At Idaho Eyelid and Facial Plastic Surgery, we work with patients to restore eye/orbital function and cosmetic appearance. Some of the ramifications of gun shot wounds:

• Iritis caused by blunt injury to the eye (inflammation of the colored part of iris)
• Sclopetaria caused from a BB or shot pellet (contusion lesion of the retina)
• Traumatic cataract from penetrating trauma by BB/air soft gun
• Hyphema, or blood in anterior chamber of the eye between the eyes and cornea, which can lead to glaucoma
• Globe rupture caused by high-velocity direct penetrating trauma, characterized by full thickness injury to the cornea and sclera
• Traumatic optic neuropathy caused by direct injury to the eye, which can destroy the optic nerve and cause blindness