Review of 345 eye amputations carried out in the period 1996-2003, at Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify the number of eye amputations, and the causative diagnoses, indications for surgery and surgical techniques applied, and to evaluate a possible change in surgical technique in a tertiary referral centre in Denmark.


METHODS
The hospital database was screened using surgery codes for patients who had undergone bulbar evisceration, enucleation or orbital exenteration in the period 1996-2003. Patient records were reviewed for gender, age, time since surgery, causative diagnosis (the disease process leading to the indication for amputation), indication for eye amputation, type of surgery and whether an implant was applied.


RESULTS
A total of 345 patients were identified as having undergone eye amputation during the 8-year period. Indications for eye amputation were: painful blind eye (127); neoplasm (119); infection (42); recent injury (25); disfiguring blind eye (25); prevention of sympathetic ophthalmia (5), and other reasons (2). Surgical procedures included 174 eviscerations, 154 enucleations and 17 orbital exenterations. The mean number of surgeries per year was 43.1. An orbital implant was applied in 168 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The most frequent indications for eye amputation were painful blind eye (37%) and neoplasm (34%). During the study period, the annual number of eye amputations was stable, but an increase in bulbar eviscerations was noticed. Orbital implants were used in 33% of patients in 1996 and 67% in 2003.
Rasmussen
Marie Louise Roed
ML
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. dr.roed@gmail.com
Prause
Jan Ulrik
JU
Johnson
Martin
M
Kamper-Jørgensen
Finn
F
Toft
Peter Bjerre
PB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017234:Eye Evisceration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017233:Orbit Evisceration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020273:Orbital Implants; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies