The perception that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to tobacco may be going up in smoke after a local man was severely injured following an e-cigarette explosion earlier this week. It's touted as a safe alternative to smoking, but it doesn't mean they still can't be dangerous.

"The patient was using an e-cigarette and he simply put the battery in, pressed the button, and the device he was using exploded," according to retinal specialist Dr. Eugene Ng. The physician, along with Dr. Jerry Castro, performed facial reconstructive surgery on the local male patient who experienced severe trauma to his face, hand, and eyeball from the explosion.

"His eye was severely damaged and he may lose the eye," Dr. Ng said. He added that the patient also experienced facial fractures, and will likely need additional surgery in the future.

While this is the first case he's handled personally, he said a recently-published case series in the medical journal Cornea details similar incidents in both Washington and Colorado. The series concludes that e-cigarettes "pose a significant public health risk" and "users should be warned regarding the possibility of severe injury."

Dr. Ng continued, "There have been a number of consumer complaints or reports of e-cigarettes either catching on fire or exploding and causing injury, so this is obviously a huge public safety and public health issue because the use of e-cigarettes is gaining in popularity. A lot of young people use it."

In fact, the US Fire Administration estimated more than two-and-a-half million people used e-cigarettes in 2014. It also estimated there have been at least 25 incidents of injury from e-cigarette explosions between 2009 and 2014. Most recently, the US Transportation Department also permanently banned e-cigarettes in checked baggage and from being charged on aircraft due to at least two incidents of baggage catching fire.

"I think it's just important again to know the dangers of these devices, and as a physician I don't believe in smoking and here we have an alternative devices that might also have safety issues, as well," he said.

While e-cigarettes are legal in Guam, a law passed in 2014 prevents them from being sold to minors.