A businessman dealing in bags, Longani arrived in the city with his friends to celebrate New Year and visit all the religious places. On Thursday, he had decided to drop in at the stall put up by his uncle at the exhibition. The visit, however, cut his trip short when, after the blast, splinters from the air conditioner tore open his right eye into two pieces.

“We were new to Mumbai and didn’t know where to go. He was bleeding profusely. We first rushed him first to Asian Heart Institute, where his lid was sutured. But his cornea and his lid were ruptured,” recollected Shiv Longani, his brother. He was later rushed to Aditya Jyot Eye hospital where he underwent an emergency cornea repair surgery.  

“His right eye had sustained lacerated wound in the upper eyelid, a corneo-scleral laceration (anterior part of the eye) and prolapsed intraocular tissue, with frank bleeding, totally disfiguring his face. We had to give an antibiotic injection in the nucleus to prevent any infection,” said Dr S Natrajan, managing director, Aditya Jyot Eye hospital.

“He was also advised cataract surgery as he had developed a Traumatic Cataract in the injured eye. Such patients may need to undergo multiple vitreo-retinal surgeries later to salvage eyesight, at least partially. The need for proper counseling of such patients cannot be overemphasized,” said Dr Natrajan, adding that his visual outcome cannot be predicted now.