Surfer removes eye growth with wave

A Hawaiian surfer has turned doctor, after taking a medical condition affecting his eye into his own hands.

The unnamed 61-year-old used a giant wave to virtually rip-off a serious eye condition known as pterygium or 'surfer's eye' – a fibrous tissue which grows over the outer layer of the eye.

The condition is common in those who spend a lot of time outdoors in sunny climates.

Normally, sufferers need to undergo delicate surgery to remove the growth.

However, the man decided to treat himself, dipping his head into the cascading water while riding a mammoth nine metre wave in Waimea Bay off the coast of Oahu.

The extreme force of the wave ended up tearing the growth off his eyeball, according to the journal BMJ Case Reports.

"He momentarily dipped his face into the water while travelling at top speed, but was able to recover his balance and continue surfing the wave," Dr Thomas Campbell, a medical officer at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital said.

"This impressive manoeuvre resulted in the pterygium being ripped off his eye surface," he added.

But doctors insist this really is a case of "do not try this at home" – adding that it is unlikely this will happen to "anyone else".

Source: MailOnline, BMJ Case Reports

Author: Natasha Lee, Approving editor: Nick Pearson