Evolution and Current Concepts in the Surgical Treatment of the Anophthalmic Orbit

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Abstract
Concern with cosmetic appearance after loss of an eye and the resulting use of artificial eyes dates back to ancient times. In the fourth to third millenia before the common era, approximate contemporaneous civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Aegean. All these civilizations had highly developed art forms, including minor decorative arts, and all believed in preserving the body and the deceased's possessions after death. Artificial eyes, in all likelihood, first were made as an art form for decoration in statues and animal figurines. Even amulets in the form of miniature eyes from Mesopotamia exist and probably were used for some religious beliefs or warding off evil spirits. Artificial eyes were constructed of such varied materials as gold, rock crystal, lapis lazuli, shell, and colored stones. The Egyptians used such artificial eyes in their statues and mummies, and the Sumerians constructed beautiful decorative pieces, as well as statues (Fig. 1). This paper reviews the history of the development of artificial eyes and related anophthalmic socket surgery.

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