Doctors removed 12cm worm from woman’s eyelid

12cm long worm being removed from the eyelid during surgery

A filarial worm measuring 12cm in length has been removed from a patient’s eyelid by Dubai doctors in what has been termed a ‘rare’ surgery. A 55-year-old Indian woman, Mrs. Vineeta M., came to Aster Hospital complaining of pain and swelling on her eyelid after having cleared all diagnostic tests. The swelling was diagnosed by Ophtalmologist Dr Vikram Mohindra, as a parasitic infection caused by mosquito bites.

The filarial worm being kept as a specimen

The infection, called dirofilariasis, was first documented in 1885 and according to the Journal of Parasitic Disease, there have been over 800 cases reported worldwide till date. However, there is an alarming concern of increased incidence and it is now considered an emerging zoonosis or disease coming from animals as per medical updates on the disease.
Dr Mohindra and his medical team successfully extracted the filarial worm and the patient’s eyelid and the patient has had full recovery, especially since the disease was caught at an early stage.
The doctor also added that “The case is also a good example of encouraging patients to pay attention to what their bodies are telling them and have it checked by physicians when something is not normal – it can save lives”