These surgeries are performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The entire eye is removed. The muscles that were attached to the outside of the eyeball to control its movement and other tissues that surrounded the eye within the bony socket of the skull are left intact. A prosthetic replacement cannot be fitted at this time, as swelling has to subside and healing needs to take place.
In most cases, Dr. Keverline places a small plastic conformer that resembles half an almond shell behind the eyelids to maintain their shape after enucleation surgery. The conformer serves as a placeholder for the artificial eye that will be fitted in several weeks. An implant typically made of porous material is placed in the space of the inner eye. A single stitch may be placed in the eyelids to temporarily sew them together for a few days.