Removal of the eye may be necessary after severe ocular trauma, to control pain in a blind eye, to treat some intraocular malignancies, in endophthalmitis unresponsive to medical therapy, and for cosmetic improvement of a disfigured eye. The choice of procedure to accomplish this is best made by an informed patient. Enucleation and evisceration can each achieve the desired goals, but several factors must be considered in choosing the most appropriate procedure.