Mumbai-based eye specialist Dr Devanshi Shah performed a challenging and critical surgery on a 60-year-old man, who was troubled by a 10-cm-long live worm in one of his eyes. If the worm was not removed from the man’s eye, it could have proven life-threatening, the doctor said.

60-year-old Mumbai resident Shivkumar approached Dr Devanshi Shah after enduring pricking pain in his eyes, who was shocked to spot a 10-cm-long worm in his eye. The doctor said that it must have entered the man’s body and reached his eye. If the worm had travelled to his heart, the man could have cardio-vascular problems. It could even prove deadly if the worm had reached his brain, Dr Shah said.

When Shivkumar felt pain in his eyes at first, he thought it was an ordinary pain. But when he saw the doctor as the pain intensified, Shivkumar and his son Sunil got worried after they found a live worm in his eye.

“During morning walk, I felt a pricking pain in my eye. I came back and used eyedrops and had some rest. Later, my eye turned blood-red. This was when I decided to see Dr Devanshi Shah as recommended by my brother,” Shivkumar told India Today.

Dr Shah, meanwhile, said that it was a challenging case since it is rare. “It is also difficult to diagnose such cases. Also, it could be dangerous if instant action is not taken,” she added.

Following successful eye surgery, Shivkumar is now able to see normally, and his eyes do not hurt any more. Shivkumar and his family thanked Dr Devanshi Shah for the surgery.