Surgical psycho-ophthalmology and contracted sockets

Surgical psycho-ophthalmology is the integration of ophthalmic surgery and medicine with basics in psychiatry and psychology, lest the psyche be forgotten amid the spectacular leaps in techniques and technology, or our judgment be veiled by our related psychodynamics [1]. Its scope encompasses a much broader spectrum than the conventional psychosomatic eye diseases. Besides due consideration of the psychological and physical conditions of patients, it increases the awareness of the surgeons' psychodynamics that reflect on our continuing judgment before, during, and after surgery. Further, surgical psycho-ophthalmology impacts on the indications, timing, planning, and performance of each individual operation and/or reoperation. It equally emphasizes both the psychologic priming of patients and attuning of the surgical team. In establishing and maintaining rapport with the patient, surgical psycho-ophthalmology helps to curb the growing problems of malpractice, iatrogenicity, and noncompliance. It also stresses careful weighing of the risk/benefit ratio in adherence to the surgical axiom: "primum non nocere". Despite all advances and ingenuity in contracted socket surgery, the challenge still remains. However, with the proper evaluation and management in the perspective of psycho-ophthalmology we may achieve success, not only in esthetics, but also in sight preservation, and even in life salvage.