[Alternatives to mutilating surgery. ].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to suggest an alternative surgery to mutilating exenteration and enucleation surgeries in the management of nonfunctional, unattractive, and painless eyes. The suggested alternative is lamellar keratectomy with conjunctiva recovery.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Four patient cases in a unit with the benefit of this technique.


METHODS
The surgical processes and results of the four cases were reviewed.


RESULTS
Postoperative results were most satisfactory with good esthetic results and, above all, a better psychological experience of surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
For a nonfunctional, unattractive, and painless eye, lamellar keratectomy with conjunctiva recovery appears to be an appealing alternative to nonconservative eyeball surgeries.
Service d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Fort-de-France, Hôpital Pierre Zobda-Quitman, Fort-de-France Cedex, Martinique, France. laurenceberal@hotmail.com
Laurence
L
Béral
Raymond
R
Richer
Angélique
A
Donnio
Harold
H
Merle
D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva; D003315:Cornea / Q000601:surgery*; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D017234:Eye Evisceration; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008850:Microphthalmos / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017233:Orbit Evisceration; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome