Removing Penetrating Fishhooks-Reply

In Reply.  —We thank Dr Coyle for detailing another method for extracting a fishhook from the eye. Indeed, there are at least four other techniques described in the medical literature to date^1,2 and each has its own particular advantages and drawbacks. The method described in our article has yielded excellent long-term visual outcomes,³ although its benefits have not been rigorously compared with other procedures.We have found that the small hooks often associated with ocular injuries are usually transected easily and with minimal trauma. Instead of the large cutting instrument depicted in Fig 3 of our Photo Essay,⁴ we currently use thoracotomy wire-cutting scissors, which are easily manipulated and readily available.It should be noted that the method advocated by Dr Coyle has several potential disadvantages. Unlike the technique we described, bending the barb against the hook shaft does not entirely remove the barb. As fishermen who