Eye Removal

Enucleation and evisceration are different types of surgical procedures that involve removing the eye, but they differ in how the eye is removed and why.

Enucleation is the complete removal of the eye, including the entire eyeball and the optic nerve. After the eye is removed, a spherical implant (often made of silicone) is placed in the eye socket to maintain the shape of the orbit. The implant may be filled with saline or with a substance such as silicone oil to give it a more natural appearance. The muscles that control eye movement are then attached to the implant, which allows the patient to move their eye prosthesis in the same way as a natural eye.

Evisceration, on the other hand, is the surgical removal of the contents of the eye, leaving the sclera (the white of the eye) and the extraocular muscles (the muscles that control eye movement) intact. After the evisceration, an implant, typically a conformer (smaller in size than enucleation implant) is placed in the eye socket. And the remaining sclera is then sutured to the implant in order to keep it in place. This procedure is typically less invasive than enucleation and may have a quicker recovery time.

Both procedures are performed by Dr. Sheneuda, oculoplastic surgeon (ophthalmologist). Enucleation is typically done for tumors, severe trauma, or other conditions that make the eye irreparable, while evisceration is often done for conditions like end-stage glaucoma, severe infections, or degenerative conditions where the eye has become blind but the outside of the eye is still healthy.