Blind Painful/Disfiguring Eye

An eye that has become blind for any reason can later be the cause of varying levels of pain for the affected person, despite the eye no longer sustaining vision. This condition is known as blind painful eye. In many cases, the reasons for the eye being blind can play a role in the cause of pain and its intensity. Treatment for this pain is dependent on the severity and frequency, and may eventually require the full removal of the eye. With or without pain, a blind eye can also be disfiguring and a source of psychosocial distress.

Causes of Blind Painful/Disfiguring Eye

Disfigurement and pain in a blind eye can stem from any number of different factors, although they are typically centered around the cause of the blindness, such as trauma, glaucoma, tumors, surgical scarring, etc. In some cases, the pain may not appear until years after blindness has already set in.

What Are the Treatment Options for Blind Painful/Disfiguring Eye?

In some instances, certain therapies and medications may be able to control the pain. In cases of severe and persistent eye pain or significant disfigurement, removal of the eye is often the only effective way to address it. Procedures to address eye removal include evisceration in which the cornea and intraocular contents are removed but the sclera is maintained, or enucleation in which the entire eye is removed. After either procedure, an ocular prosthetic implant can be created by our ocularist to provide the patient with a quite natural appearance.