Purpose: To describe the demographics and clinical outcomes of patients who underwent posttraumatic enucleation or evisceration during Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 2001 to 2011.
Methods: The Walter Reed Ocular Trauma Database is a retrospective case series of US Servicemembers and Department of Defense civilians who had combat ocular injuries in OIF and OEF. Data regarding posttraumatic enucleations and eviscerations performed during OIF and OEF were extracted. The main outcomes analyzed were the number of enucleations and eviscerations performed, location of the surgery, laterality, and graft type. The secondary outcome measures included: mechanism of injury and Ocular Trauma Score classification.
Results: One hundred nine enucleations and eviscerations were performed on the 890 eyes (12.24%). Sixty-three (57.80%) primary enucleations, 36 (33.03%) secondary enucleations, 5 (4.59%) postretinal detachment repair enucleations, and 5 (4.59%) primary eviscerations were completed. The surgeries were completed at a combat support hospital (57; 52.3%), or Walter Reed Army Medical Center (49; 45.0%). All surgeries were unilateral except in 2 patients. The most common graft type used was silicone (n = 56; 51.38%). Improvised explosive devices caused 76 (69.72%) eye injuries. Ocular Trauma Score were recorded as 56 (51.38%) between 0 and 44, 44 (40.37%) between 45 and 65, and unknown in 9 (8.26%).
Conclusion: Posttraumatic enucleation or evisceration due to devastating ocular trauma is required in about 15% of ophthalmic patients in modern combat trauma. The psychosocial impact on veterans who have required an enucleation or evisceration from combat trauma has been poorly studied and requires further review.