Outcomes of planned versus emergent enucleation procedures with primary orbital implants

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the outcomes of primary implant placement in patients who have undergone enucleation on either a planned or emergent basis.

A retrospective chart review was performed of 128 enucleations with at least a 1-year postoperative follow-up between November 2008 and May 2019 by a single oculoplastic surgeon at Albany Medical Center. Emergent cases were categorized as those with an active, unclosed globe perforation, secondary to either acute trauma, dehiscence or failed closure of a previously opposed wound, or exposure of a surgical site with dehiscence of the underlying sclera. Patient demographics, clinical features, and postoperative findings were recorded. The incidence of implant exposure was used as an indication of patient outcomes, and the data were subsequently analyzed using t tests.

Of the 128 enucleations performed, 32 (25%) were carried out on an emergent basis, of which 2 patients (6.25%) developed implant exposure. In contrast, of the 96 enucleations that were carried out in a planned, nonemergent manner, 3 patients (3.1%) developed implant exposure. There was no significant relationship between implant exposure rates in the acute and planned enucleation groups (p = 0.4047).

Despite the implications of globe perforation, our analysis suggests no significant correlation of implant exposures in acute versus planned enucleations with primary orbital implants. As such, physicians may confidently place a primary implant at the time of enucleation in both groups, and they may use these data to counsel their patients about the risks of postoperative complications.