Exenteration

Exenteration: complete removal of the contents of the eye socket

Exenteration is a rare but sometimes necessary surgical operation in ophthalmology, which consists of completely removing the entire contents of the orbit, leaving only the bony walls intact. After the contents of the orbit are removed, the remaining bone is covered with a skin graft.

This surgery may be necessary in cases of orbital cancer where other treatments, such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, are ineffective. It can also be performed in cases where the tumor has spread beyond the orbit and it is necessary to remove all affected tissue.

During the exenteration process, general anesthesia is used, and surgical access to the orbit can be obtained through various approaches such as the transconjunctival, transcarb, or transcranial approach. The choice of approach depends on the specific situation and surgeon preference.

After surgery, the patient may need some time to recover, during which time there may be some discomfort, such as pain or swelling. However, most patients recover fully and can continue to lead normal lives.

Although exenteration is a major operation with potential risks and complications, it may be necessary to save the patient's life. Therefore, it is important to discuss all possible risks and benefits of this surgery with your doctor.

Exenteration of the eye is a surgical operation to completely remove all tissues of the orbit while preserving only the bone structures. This operation is performed in the presence of malignant tumors that do not respond to conservative treatment or recur after it.

Removing the eye socket is a complex and dangerous operation that can lead to serious complications such as vision loss, impaired mobility of the eyeball and facial deformation. Therefore, exenteration is possible only in specialized clinics where there is experience in performing such operations.

Before the operation, a thorough examination of the patient is carried out, including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and other diagnostic methods. This allows you to determine the location of the tumor and its size, as well as assess the condition of the surrounding tissues.

After the operation, the patient must be under medical supervision for several days. During this time, antibiotics and pain medications may be prescribed to reduce pain and reduce the risk of complications.

In general, eye exenteration is a complex operation that is performed only if there are serious indications. However, if the tumor cannot be treated, then this is the only way to save the patient’s life.

Exenteration is one of the methods of surgical treatment of malignant tumors of the orbit, which are widespread and are often diagnosed late. The range of problems arising in connection with these tumors is very wide, which poses the challenge for the surgeon and the patient to find optimal solutions. Orbital tumors, based on the high frequency of their detection, account for about 3-5% of all orbital malignancies and associated complications. It should be noted that, despite significant advances in the study of malignant neoplasms and the possibility of their treatment, we were unable to avoid cases of non-radical removal of a malignant neoplasm, when tumor recurrence occurred even in the first months after surgery. The intervention - often delayed, performed either under conditions of inadequate anesthesia, or even with the use of narcotic analgesics, without the use of regional anesthesia - often causes various complications associated with impaired blood supply, lymphatic tract, and connection of the orbital structures with the nasal cavity. With such operations there is a risk of developing a number of hemiatrophies