Anophthalmos

Anophthalmos is when an eye socket is void of content, including the eye. Anophthalmos can occur due to congenital malformation or surgery. There are instances when it is necessary to remove all or part of the eyeball and/or eye socket. This type of surgery is a last resort for a number of disorders, such as when a traumatic eye is irreparable; a blind, painful eye is refractory to medication; or there is cancer within the eye or extending beyond the eye into the orbit.

There are three surgical techniques for partial or complete eye removal.

Evisceration – Evisceration involves removing the eye contents, while leaving the sclera (the white shell of the eye) in place and the muscles responsible for the eye movements. A spherical implant will be placed within the sclera to replace tissues that have been removed. Evisceration is the least traumatic procedure for the eye socket and usually yields the best cosmetic result.

Enucleation – Enucleation involves the removal of the entire eye, including the sclera. The muscles are left intact and sutured to a spherical implant. The implant is placed in the socket to replace the eye that has been removed. 

Exenteration – Exenteration is the most radical of the three procedures. It involves removing the entire eye, eye muscles, most of the orbital soft tissues and occasionally part of the orbital bones. This procedure is reserved for severe cancers or life-threatening infections.

The surgeon will determine which is the absolutely necessary procedure.