Foreign Body, Eye (cont.)

Medical Author:

David T Wong, MD, FRCSC

Coauthor:

Howard A Blumstein, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Richard W Allinson, MD

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Robert H Graham, MD

The prognosis for corneal abrasions, even large ones, is very good. Most corneal abrasions heal within 48 hours.
The prognosis for other eye abnormalities is often much less favorable.
- A ruptured globe (eyeball) often leads to total loss of vision, even with early intervention.
- Retinal damage usually leads to permanent vision loss. Depending on the extent of the retinal damage, this vision loss could be partial or complete.
- Depending on the nature of the injury and other associated injuries, damage to the iris may be repairable.
- Lacerations to the tissues around the eye are often repairable but can lead to varying levels of facial disfigurement.