Patients who have lost the eye due to trauma or diseases such as tumors, may require socket reconstruction in order to restore some normality in the appearance of their eyes. This may involve replacement of the volume of the eyeball with a special ball implant, reconstruction of the surrounding supporting tissues of the eye with grafts and customized fitting of the prosthetic eye (false eye).

Some long-term problems that may arise in such patients include:

• Discharge or discomfort from the wearing of the prosthesis (false eye)
• Difficulty with retaining the prosthesis in the eye,
• Progressive contracture of the supporting tissues surrounding the eye leading to a sunken deformity especially in the upper lid
• In-turning of eyelashes from laxity and lack of support the lid structures

The management of these conditions depend on the nature and severity of the condition. A mild allergy or irritation from constant friction to the prosthesis can be treated with eyedrops while progressive shortening of the grooves between the eyelid and eyeball or ball implant or contracture of the surrounding tissues may require more extensive surgery to reconstruct the whole socket area.