Enucleation is the surgical removal of the entire eyeball from the eye socket. This procedure is only performed when other treatment options have been exhausted or when the eye can no longer be meaningfully preserved.
Reasons for enucleation may include, for example, a malignant eye tumor, a severe injury, or a painful “blind” eye.
During the operation, the eyeball is removed, but important eye muscles are preserved. A spacer (implant) is usually inserted afterward. Once healing is complete, the person receives a custom-made ocular prosthesis (“glass eye” or plastic prosthesis). In shape and color, it is very similar to a natural eye and can move along with the preserved muscles.
Vision in that eye is permanently lost after enucleation, but appearance and facial expression can usually be restored well. In addition, severe pain or the risk of a life-threatening condition (e.g., in the case of tumors) can be significantly reduced.