Evisceration / Enucleation / Exenteration in Phoenix and Sun City West

Losing an eye is an emotionally difficult time, whether due to cancer or trauma or pain. However, rest assured that your new eye socket will be able to support an eye prosthesis that looks natural and moves with your other eye. Sometimes, it is even difficult to tell which eye is the prosthetic.

Post-Operative Instructions

After your surgery, you will have a dressing covering your eye socket and your eyelid will be closed. Keep the dressing on for 3 to 5 days as directed by your ophthalmology team. Keep the dressing dry and shower only from the neck down.

After you have removed the dressing, clean your face as usual with water and a clean cloth. Your doctor will give you a prescription for anti-biotic ointment. Apply it 2 times a day between your eyelids until your follow-up appointment. If you run out before your appointment, check with your pharmacy if you have refills or call our office.

You can shower as usual after your dressing is removed, but don’t put your head underwater (in the bathtub, pool, or ocean) until 2 weeks after your surgery.

Throughout the first couple of weeks after the surgery, avoid any activities that increase blood flow to the eyes, including bending, lifting, sporting activities or any other strenuous activity.

If you were using Aspirin or any other type of blood thinner medication prior to surgery, please start re-taking the day after surgery.

Side effects

For the first few weeks after your surgery, the area around your eye may be bruised and swollen. There may also be watery or pinkish drainage, a “scratchy” feeling, and mild discomfort in the area. This is normal and will go away within a few days.

Don’t rub, press, or bump your eye socket. It may take some time for you to adjust seeing out of only 1 eye.

Plastic conformer

During your surgery, your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) will put a soft, plastic or silicone conformer between your eyelids. It will help keep the shape of your eye.

The conformer may fall out in the first few weeks after your surgery. If you feel comfortable replacing the conformer, clean the conformer with soap and water and put it back between your eyelids, like a contact lens. If you don’t feel comfortable replacing it, bring the conformer with you to your next appointment and a member of your healthcare team will replace it for you.

You can choose to wear a patch until you receive your prosthesis (artificial eye) but it isn’t medically necessary. You can buy disposable eye patches at any pharmacy or may choose instead to wear sunglasses.

Call if you have the following:

• Pain that is not relieved by acetaminophen (Tylenol®)
• Intense headaches
• Nausea (feeling like you’re going to throw up)
• Vomiting (throwing up)