Woman survives coat hanger hook-into-eye accident

A 53-year-old woman who had a metal coat rack hanger go into her eye spoke to the media in New York on Monday to recount the miracle surgery performed by a New York plastic surgeon.

Geri Rivero talked about the traumatic injury to her face and her remarkable recovery. She was at a holiday party when she stumbled and fell onto the coat rack.

The hanger went through the inferior region of her right eye into her ethmoid and maxillary sinus spaces and across her face. The hook of the hanger perforated her skull and eye socket.



Rivero was actually alert and oriented on arrival to the emergency room. Her airway and breathing were intact, but her mouth and nose were obstructed with the lower portion of the hanger hook.

Renowned New York Plastic Surgeon Henry Spinelli performed the emergency surgery on Rivero at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He used a high powered saw to cut the metal hook just below her eye.

Rivero was awake during that procedure. Then, under anesthesia, Dr. Spinelli surgically removed the hook from beneath her right eye and sinus cavity by cutting through her cheek and jaw bones and removing the knob through a surgical opening in her mouth. She is now being seen as an out-patient and is doing exceedingly well, Dr. Spinelli said.

With news video and gory photo gallery.