Enucleation and evisceration in pediatric population

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the results from 111pediatric patients who underwent enucleationor evisceration at Barraquer Clinic, during 11years (1990- 2000), determining the kind ofcorrection used and complications associatedwith the procedure.Methods: Retrospective study of medicalrecords from all patients under 18 years whounderwent mentioned surgery. Demographicdata, diagnosis, associated ophthalmic surgeries,implants or grafts characteristics, follow upperiod and postoperative complications weredetermined in all patients.Results: A total of 55 enucleations and 56eviscerations were done. In only one case neitherimplant nor graft was placed. During thefirst 4 years of the study, lipodermal grafts correspondedto 25,45% and nylon implants to72,72% of the totality, while in the last 7 yearshydroxyapatite implants corresponded to78,57% of the cases. 17 patients (15,32%) hadcomplications that required surgical correction,with no significant statistical difference betweenthe types of corrections placed.Conclusions: Hydroxyapatite implants givean excellent anophthalmic orbit reconstruction forpediatric population, and improve esthetic andmotility results. Other correction types likelipodermal grafts still constitute an excellent alternativein our environment, considering theirlower costs. Although we observed some complicationswith the different correction methods, onlya few cases required surgical intervention. The rateof complications increased in younger patients.

Keywords

• enucleation
• evisceration
• implants
• hydroxyapatite
• nylon
• lipodermal graft