Ocular TASER Probe Injury Managed with Primary Evisceration: Case Report

Abstract

A 34-year-old male presented to the emergency department with a penetrating injury of the left globe and orbit from a Thomas A Swift’s Electric Rifle (TASER®) probe. The severity of the globe injury precluded primary closure of the globe; a primary evisceration was performed. In this article, we discuss not only the case in detail but also the TASER® rifle and the literature to support our decision in performing an evisceration rather than an enucleation, which historically has been taught to decrease the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) in the fellow eye. We are of the opinion, after reviewing the literature, that SO is not an overwhelming reason to choose enucleation over evisceration and that evisceration has an advantage over enucleation with regard to functional and cosmetic outcomes.

Keywords

• thomas a swift’s electric rifle probe injury
• globe trauma
• evisceration surgery
• sympathetic ophthalmia