Pathological and surgical examination of the handling of the lacerated eyeball.

A survey of 85 lacerated eyeballs pointed to six elements that had led to destruction of the globe: poor wound closure, hypotony, hemorrhage, lens remnants, fibrosis and antigen exposure. Guidelines for the repair of such globes were established on the basis of the pathological findings. The techniques necessitate great care and require the use of a microscope, a vitreous aspiration cutter and fine sutures. Adequate time must be set aside for the surgery, since anything less than careful and complete repair can lead to disaster. The quality of the primary repair is likely to be what defines the excellence of the final result.