Familiarity with Treatment: Enucleation surgery involves the complete removal of the eyeball (globe) and part of the optic nerve. This procedure is typically recommended for severe eye conditions where other treatments have failed or are not viable.

Procedure:

1. Preparation: The patient is given either general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation.
2. Surgery: The surgeon removes the entire eyeball while leaving the eye muscles and surrounding orbital contents intact. An implant is placed in the empty socket and attached to the eye muscles to allow for movement. A conformer is then placed over the implant to maintain the shape of the socket.
3. Duration: The surgery usually takes about an hour.

Who is it Suitable For?

• Patients with severe eye trauma.
• Individuals with eye cancers such as intraocular melanoma or retinoblastoma.
• Those suffering from severe infections like acanthamoeba keratitis.
• Patients with painful or cosmetically unappealing blind eyes.
• Cases of sympathetic ophthalmia, an autoimmune condition.

Who is it Not Suitable For?

• Patients where less invasive treatments are viable.
• Individuals with conditions that can be managed with other surgical or medical interventions.

Advantages:

• Relief from pain and discomfort caused by severe eye conditions.
• Prevention of the spread of infections or cancer.
• Improved cosmetic appearance with a prosthetic eye.

Complications:

• Infection at the surgical site.
• Bleeding or hematoma formation.
• Implant displacement or extrusion.
• Psychological impact of losing an eye.

Previous Care:

• Discuss all medications with your healthcare provider, especially blood thinners.
• Follow pre-surgery instructions, including fasting if required.

Aftercare:

• Regular follow-up appointments to monitor healing.
• Proper hygiene to prevent infection.
• Avoid strenuous activities and swimming for at least two weeks.
• Fitting for a prosthetic eye, which may take up to two months.

Stay at Hospital?

• Most enucleation surgeries are outpatient procedures, but an overnight stay may be required in some cases.