Ocular Trauma Unit

Lesions are diagnosed both in blunt and sharp trauma to orbital walls, eyelids, lacrimal system, cornea, crystalline lens, iris, vitreous humour, retina, choroid and optic disc. Loss of vision is also possible due to damage along the visual pathway from the eye to the visual cerebral cortex in the occipital lobe.

ICO has had this Ocular Trauma Unit since the institution was set up some 30 years ago. 

Thanks to the improvement in occupational health and safety measures for high-risk jobs, the incidence of severe lesions has fallen considerably. From a medical-surgical point of view, better knowledge of scarring processes and modern ocular microsurgery techniques have enabled us to restore eyes affected by trauma much more effectively. As a result, complete loss of vision or of an eye is now much less common than before.

Urgent and appropriate care together with the application of modern microsurgical techniques noticeably reduces the consequences of eye trauma. All of the efforts of this Unit are aimed at quickly seeing patients, reducing sequelae and minimising the amount of time off work, always in close collaboration with business or corporate health insurance plan providers.

In addition to workplace trauma, the following also require special attention: sports trauma, traffic accidents, violence-related injuries, and, with even greater impact, wounds resulting from armed conflict in patients visiting us from overseas.

The Ocular Trauma Unit counts on the support of other Clinical Units, namely the A&E, Cornea, Vitreoretinal, Glaucoma, Orbital, Neuro-Ophthalmology and Refractive Surgery Units. It is led specifically by Dr Susana Duch.