Prevalence of phantom eye syndrome following eye removal: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine the literature-pooled prevalence of phantom eye syndrome (PES) following eye removal, including phantom vision (PV), phantom pain (PP), or phantom non-visual non-painful (PNVNP) sensations.

METHODS

Databases were searched from inception to March 12 2025. A systematic review and meta-analysis of PES prevalence and risk factors was conducted.

RESULTS

Seven studies were identified (775 patients). The literature-pooled prevalence of PES, defined as having at least one constitutive symptom, was 58.9% (95% CI [50.4, 66.9], I2 = 78%, five studies). The most common constitutive symptom was PV in 35.6% (95% CI [29.5, 42.3], I2 = 71.1%, six studies), followed by PP in 26.4% (95% CI [20.8, 32.9], I2 = 76.1%, seven studies) and PNVNP in 19.9% (95% CI [7.9, 42.0], I2 = 91.2%, six studies) sensations. The pooled prevalence of reporting all three constitutive symptoms simultaneously was 4.8% (95% CI [2.2, 10.1], I2 = 67.3%, three studies). Commonly reported risk factors in the literature included mental health comorbidities and preoperative pain, though some studies did not conduct multivariable analysis to control for confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Low certainty evidence supports that over 50% of patients may develop at least one constitutive PES symptom. Patients may benefit from PES screening, reassurance, and early treatment of postoperative pain.