Trends in evisceration and enucleation surgeries at a tertiary care hospital: a 10-year retrospective study

This study examines 10-year trends in enucleation and evisceration surgeries at a tertiary care hospital, focusing on changing indications, procedural volume, and demographic associations.

A retrospective chart review was conducted at Tampa General Hospital from 2015 to 2024, including 261 enucleations and eviscerations. Patient demographics, clinical indications, surgical details, and histopathological findings were analyzed. Exenteration cases (n = 30) were assessed separately.

A total of 261 eye removal surgeries were performed between 2015 and 2024. During the 10-year period, 129 (49.4%) enucleations and 132 (50.6%) eviscerations were performed. The cohort consisted of 139 (53.3%) males and 122 (46.7%) females. Infection (37.9%) and trauma (26.4%) were the leading indications. Enucleation was strongly associated with malignancy, particularly melanoma (p < 0.001), while evisceration was preferred for infections (p < 0.001). The total number of surgeries increased over the study period (p < 0.05).

There was a similar incidence of enucleations and eviscerations, although both increased throughout the study period. There was no association between gender and diagnosis for these surgeries.