Purpose: To compare the indications, surgical techniques, and operative outcome between two 100-patient populations operated on for evisceration or enucleation with a 10-year interval.
Methods: This retrospective study involved 100 patients operated on between 1987 and 1990 (Group 1) compared with another 100 patients operated on between 1996 and 2000 (Group 2). Group 1 included 64 males and 36 females, mean age 49 years; Group 2 included 60 males and 40 females, mean age 53.
Results: In Group 1, 19 eviscerations were performed, versus 55 in Group 2. In both groups, half of the indications for surgery were a painful blind eye. In Group 1, endophthalmia (23%) came second, whereas it was trauma (15%) in Group 2. Sixty-eight patients were implanted in Group 1 (silicone spheres 69%) versus 86 in Group 2 (hydroxyapatite spheres 69%). Twenty spheres (20%) were rejected in Group 1 versus 7% in Group 2.
Discussion and conclusions: The proportion of eviscerations increased in 10 years. The number of endophthalmitis-related operations decreased and trauma-related operations increased. The number of implantations increased with hydroxyapatite as the first choice material instead of silicone. This most likely contributed to reducing the number of rejections.