What is exenteration?
Exenteration is the removal of the whole eye as well as the surrounding tissues which generally includes the soft tissues like the conjunctiva, muscles, fat and sometimes eyelids.
Normal orbit and contents
Historical prosthetic devices
Ambroise Paré, a prominent French barber in the 1500s was a surgeon known for conceptualizing and inventing not only surgical techniques and instruments, but prosthetics as well. He designed many prosthetic devices including legs, noses, and eyes. The hypoblephara eye prosthesis that Paré conceptualized had a wire that wrapped around the head and positioned the prosthetic eye on top of the atrophic eye. A remarkable invention from nearly 500 years ago!
Modern prostheses
Reconstruction after exenteration involves relining the socket followed by an expert fitting of a proper prosthesis as shown here
Expert prostheses made by our master prosthetician Paul Tanner
Paul Tanner is one of a very few facial prostheticians in the world. We are fortunate to have him work with us on our patients who come from across the United States and overseas
"When I developed a cancer in my orbit which had spread, my doctors in Monatana said "You have to see Dr. Patel and only him". Thank you Dr. Patel for saving my life. And bless your whole team and the nurses at the Moran Center. They are all angels. I thank you every day. J. Ross 68 Yrs Old with Orbit and Face tumor- Billings, MT
Exenteration
If cancers are caught early enough, we can resect and repair the area without the loss of an eye.
Spectacle-mounted prosthesis allows one to wear glasses and also get a cosmetic improvement after an exenteration. Mr. Tanner makes the most beautiful prostheses and is rightly in great demand.