Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Complications and owner satisfaction after dog eye removal or eye
By De Maria É et al.·2026·Département des Sciences Cliniques·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Enucleation <i>versus</i> evisceration with intraocular silicone prosthesis in dogs: Postoperative complication rate and owner satisfaction comparison.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Labrador underwent surgery to remove her eye due to severe damage. The veterinarian offered two options: enucleation (removing the entire eye) or evisceration with an intraocular silicone prosthesis (EIOP), which keeps the eye socket but replaces the eye's contents. The study found that while both surgeries had similar satisfaction rates among owners, EIOP had a much higher complication rate, leading to more extended care. Ultimately, the enucleation procedure was less complicated and provided a good cosmetic result, making it a safer choice for many dogs.
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Abstract
<h4>Objective</h4>This study compared complication rates and owner satisfaction following enucleation <i>versus</i> evisceration with intraocular prosthesis (EIOP) in dogs. The aim was to increase knowledge of both procedures in the literature.<h4>Animals and procedure</h4>We conducted a medical review of records for 138 dogs presented to the ophthalmology service of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal (Quebec) that underwent either enucleation from 2015 to 2022 or EIOP from 2008 to 2022. A survey of owner satisfaction conducted by email or telephone was done at the time of data collection, 4.1 ± 2.1 y (mean ± SD) post-enucleation and 11.8 ± 4.2 y post-EIOP.<h4>Results</h4>There was a difference in the complication rate between the 2 procedures, with EIOP much more prone to complications than enucleation (54.1 <i>versus</i> 15.3%; <i>P</i> < 0.001). No variable tested had a significant effect on the complication rate (age, size, sex, comorbidities, or brachycephalic syndrome). Further, the average duration of administration of topical medication after EIOP in this study (0.49 y) was much longer than intervals mentioned in the literature. The owner survey revealed similar levels of satisfaction regarding the postoperative outcomes of both procedures.<h4>Conclusion and clinical relevance</h4>Both procedures are viable options, but it is important to clearly communicate to the owner the complication risks and implications for providing extended postoperative care after EIOP. We concluded that EIOP can be a controversial procedure. Further, enucleation can produce a very satisfactory cosmetic result with a much-reduced postoperative burden.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41586147