What does the procedure enucleation refer to in surgical terminology?

Enucleation refers specifically to the surgical procedure involving the complete removal of the globe of the eyeball. This procedure is often performed in cases such as severe intraocular disease, trauma, or malignant tumors within the eye where other treatments are deemed insufficient.

This differentiation is important because removing parts of the eye, such as the cornea, retina, or ocular muscles, does not involve the entire eyeball. Instead, these other procedures have different names that specify the part of the eye being addressed. For example, keratectomy refers to corneal removal, while vitrectomy involves the removal of the vitreous gel but not the entire globe. Hence, enucleation specifically denotes the removal of the whole eye structure, making it distinct from the other options presented.