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Modern Medicine is Amazing

2007_12_hanger3.jpgPossibly the most haunting thing we've seen is coverage of the Staten Island woman who had a coat hook pierce her face - and how a plastic surgeon who helped save her face. Fifty-three year-old Geri Rivero was at a co-worker's party last month when she slipped in the bathroom. According to the Daily News, she grabbed the metal coatrack, but "somehow, the hook pierced the bone under her right eye, plowing through muscle and lodging in the sinus cavity behind her cheekbone." YIKES.

Rivero wanted to pull the coat hanger out of her face, but luckily her boss stopped her. The coat hanger (pictured) was cut off at the base by fire fighters and Rivero was taken to New York Presbyterian.

Not only did the hanger go through the "inferior region of her right eye into her ethmoid and maxillary sinus spaces and across her face" and perforate her skull and eye socket, part of the hanger was obstructing her mouth, which meant anesthesiologists couldn't sedate her during surgery. But Rivero agreed to under the surgery without anesthesia, even though "she couldn't get oxygen, because sparks from cutting the metal would have caused an explosion." Dear God!

Luckily, the surgery went well and Rivero, whose vision is improving (some eye muscles were pierced), was back at work two weeks later. She said of her plastic surgeon, Dr. Henry Spinelli, "God sent me this man."

Here are photographs of the hanger in Rivero's skull - and after pictures. They're pretty scary, so be warned. if you're squeamish.

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Comments [rss]

  • Bizzle

    "What do you have in your bathroom that could possibly kill you? No it's not under the sink.

    Story at 11..."

  • Dave Hogarty

    Bravo Dr. Spinelli and the rest of the surgical staff!

  • Gwinny

    Dear god, what a horrible freak accident. So great that she's on the mend, though.

  • Barbj8

    What the hell, I'm just going to start smoking again.

  • zodak

    OMG!! that woman is so lucky. what a bizarre accident.

    (it was a "hook" not a rack or hanger.)

  • lower manhattan

    what kind of bathroom has a COAT rack?

  • Elderta

    Oh my goodness, poor lady. Her boss was so right about not pulling that thing out. Glad to hear she's on the mend, eek!

  • JRod5417

    Thanks for that story Gothamist! I really needed another reason to wake up in fear in the middle of the night.

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