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| The worm, once removed from the eye, was found to be one inch long |
An Indian woman has been under the knife so surgeons could remove a whopping 12 cm worm from above her eye.
The parasite was detected when the Indian woman was visiting Dubai, and she paid a visit to Aster Hospital complaining of swelling in her eye.
It was only then that Dr Vikram Mohindra, an ophthalmologist at the hospital, discovered the parasite worming its way through the poor lady's eye.
Although she was in a considerable amount of pain, doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her eye and sent her on her way.
But the woman - known as Vineeta - demanded a second opinion.
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| The worm was in the lower eyelid |
Speaking after surgery to remove the creature, the woman said: told Gulf News: "I am truly grateful to Dr Mohindra for his keenness in taking up my case which proves to be a good call.
"It pays to trust your instincts — mine in seeking a second opinion and Dr Mohindra for investigating my case."
She added: "My life is back to normal now and I can see without obstruction or discomfort."
Don't panic - there have only been 800 cases of dirofilariasis recorded worldwide since it was first documented in 1885, according to the Journal of Parasitic Diseases.
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| Tweezers and basil leaves were used to remove the worm |
Unfortunately a number of these have been in European countries including France, Italy and Spain.
Dr Mohindra explained: "Aster Hospital may be a relatively new hospital but we have already proven a high level of experience and expertise by dealing with this rare case.
"It is a good example of encouraging patients to pay attention to what their bodies are telling them and have it checked by physicians when something is not normal — it can save lives."
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