AIM: To compare the effectiveness and outcome of two different methods for removing metal foreign bodies and rust rings from cornea.

METHODS: Forty outpatients with cornea metal foreign body injuries were recruited. They were divided into two groups according to the methods used to remove the foreign body and the rust ring(group 1 using needle + forceps; group 2 using needle only). The effectiveness and outcome were compared across groups in term of the duration of the surgery, pain scores, and the recovery of epithelial damage, as well as the integrity of the removed rust rings, which was associated with the difficulty of the surgery.

RESULTS: In group 1, rust rings were removed readily in one piece in one or two attempts, while in group 2, the rings were broken into several pieces before they were totally removed. The averaged surgery duration for patients in group 1 was 1.9min(37.3%)shorter than that in group 2(P<0.001). The pain score of group 1 was also significantly lower than that of group 2 during and 1d after the surgery. In group 1, a full recovery of the corneal epithelium, indicated by negative fluorescent staining, was seen in 80% of cases 1d after the surgery, while in group 2, this was only 55%.

CONCLUSION: The method in group 1 is easier to perform and results in better outcomes than the conventional method in group 2 for removing the rust rings formed by corneal metal foreign bodies.