Corneal laceration and intraocular foreign body in a post-LASIK eye

To describe a case of full-thickness corneal laceration and intraocular foreign body in an eye that underwent laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK).

A 43-year-old man underwent uneventful bilateral LASIK. Seventeen months after LASIK, the patient suffered penetrating trauma to the right eye while hammering metal without safety glasses. Examination on the night of the injury showed an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 in the right eye. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed a 2.4-mm full-thickness peripheral corneal laceration at the 11-o'clock position extending over the edge of the previous LASIK flap and a foreign body partially embedded in the superior iris. He was started on prophylactic topical and intravenous antibiotics. Under general anesthesia, the corneal laceration was repaired, and the intraocular foreign body was removed without any complications.

At the follow-up visit 9 months after the surgery, the uncorrected visual acuity was 20/25 in the right eye. On slit-lamp examination, the corneal sutures and the well-positioned LASIK flap were in place.

Penetrating trauma of the cornea did not lead to flap-related complications in this post-LASIK eye. Repair of the corneal laceration and removal of the intraocular foreign body after LASIK were managed without complications. Care must be taken to try not to manipulate or lift the LASIK flap during corneal laceration repair.