Enucleation & Evisceration
Sometimes removal of an eyeball is necessary to control pain, stop the spread of disease, or after trauma to an eye that has become blind.
Enucleation is a procedure where the entire eyeball is removed and replaced with a spherical shaped implant. Evisceration is a similar procedure, however the shell of the eye remains while removing the contents of the eye. Both procedures allow for the fitting of a ocular prosthesis to match the appearance of the patient’s remaining eye. An ocular prosthesis is made by a specialized artist called an “ocularist” and is generally fit 4-6 weeks after surgery. This prosthesis is designed to move with the existing eye to provide a natural appearing “eye.” Dr. Joos works closely with ocularists in the area to assure the best possible outcome.