- Ophthalmology team performs complex eyelid surgery, timely treatment saves eyesight
In a tragic incident in Batori village, located in the Bilha area of Bilaspur district, two innocent children were attacked by a stray dog. The two-year-old boy and two-year-old girl suffered serious injuries to their faces and eyelids. Following the incident, the family immediately rushed the children to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Bilaspur, where the ophthalmology team immediately initiated emergency treatment and achieved significant success in saving the eyes of both children.
Doctors explained that the children’s deep wounds around their faces, eyes, and eyelids made this case a “Category 3 dog bite,” which carries a high risk of rabies infection. Upon arrival at the hospital, the wounds were thoroughly cleaned and anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) was immediately initiated. Rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) was also administered to prevent infection at an early stage.
Due to severe damage to their eyelids, the children underwent urgent lid repair surgery in the ophthalmology operating theatre at SIMS the same day. During the surgery, the damaged tissue was meticulously repaired to preserve the structure and vision of the eyes. Currently, both children are under medical supervision and are reported to be in stable condition.
The team of Ophthalmology Department played an important role in this complex treatment and surgery, which included Dr. Prabha Sonwani, Dr. Sanjay Chaudhary,
Dr. Aarti, Dr. Aniket,
Dr. Yashas Tiwari and Dr. Draupadi from Anesthesia Department along with other medical and nursing staff.
SIMS Director Dr. Ramanesh Murthy stated that SIMS Hospital is committed to providing prompt and quality treatment to critical and emergency patients. He explained that timely treatment is crucial in cases like dog bites, as even the slightest negligence can prove fatal. He appealed to the public to seek medical advice immediately after being bitten or scratched by any animal.
SIMS Medical Superintendent Dr. Lakhan Singh said that rabies is a deadly but completely preventable disease. If anti-rabies vaccine and necessary treatment are administered in time, patients can be saved. He appealed to people to avoid home remedies, sorcery, or superstition and to adopt scientific treatment.
Dr. Suchita Singh, Head of the Ophthalmology Department, explained that the children had serious injuries to their eyes and eyelids, necessitating immediate surgery. The expert team performed careful surgery to preserve the eyes, which successfully saved the children’s vision.
Doctors explained that rabies is a highly dangerous viral disease spread through the bite, scratch, or saliva of an infected dog, cat, or other animal. As the disease progresses, patients may experience severe symptoms such as a fear of water, difficulty breathing, mental confusion, aggressive behavior, and paralysis. Experts urged people not to take any dog bite incident lightly and to seek immediate medical attention.
Health experts also stressed the need for the Municipal Corporation and the administration to launch special campaigns to control the increasing number of stray dogs, speed up sterilization and vaccination programs and run rabies awareness campaigns in rural and urban areas.