In a rare case, doctors remove 145 maggots from 65-year-old’s nose, ‘dead eye’

In a rare surgery, 145 maggots were removed from the eyes and nose of a 65-year-old patient, who had received treatment for mucormycosis (black fungus) and Covid-19 about a year ago. According to a statement from SS SPARSH Hospital in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bengaluru, the patient had also undergone surgery to remove dead tissue from her nose, resulting in a wide nasal cavity on the left side.
“Notably, wide nasal cavities are more prone to secretions which lead to crusting, such that if nasal douching is not practiced to maintain hygiene, the foul-smelling secretions can attract flies that lay eggs within the nose, which can eventually hatch into maggots,” the statement added.

“If the maggots are not removed, they can reach the brain and damage the brain tissues. The eye is directly connected to the brain, and if the eye is involved it can lead to an infection — which is an emergency,” Dr Manjunath MK, consultant ENT Surgeon, SS SPARSH Hospital, who was treating her told .
As per the Journal of Nepal Medical Association‘s 2021 research, maggots have been found to infest the nose, ear, orbit, tracheostomy wound, face, gums, and serous cavities, among other places. It noted that patients have a “variety of risk factors and comorbidities” that make them more susceptible to this condition.
While the patient was treated for it elsewhere three months ago, she once again complained of similar symptoms along with swelling in one of her eyes. Dr Manjunath informed this outlet that her left eye was “completely blind since the first day of the condition.” “She had a hory of nasal bleeding and swelling on her left eye for three days. After investigations, about 110 maggots were removed from her nose on the first day along with the removal of dead tissues. Since the eye was completely dead and was causing her excruciating pain, she consented to its removal, and the next day about 35 maggots were removed from the eyeball. The patient is now in a stable condition,” he said in the statement.
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The patient was operated for two days (representative) (Express Photo Praveen Khanna)
Dr Manjunath added that the surgery, that took place over two days, “was carried out through an endoscopic sinus surgery approach”. “Since they were maggots, it was removed with the help of an endoscope. The endoscopes are passed through the nose, and while looking at the camera monitor, the dead tissues are removed. For the eye surgery, it was performed as an open procedure,” he elucidated.

“The procedure took about 1.5-2 hours on both days. The first day was the removal of maggots from nasal cavity while the second day was the eyeball removal,” he mentioned.
The patient is in a stable condition, she will take some more time to fully recover, the doctor said.
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