Enucleation is the removal of the eye that leaves the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of ocular tumors, in eyes that have suffered severe trauma, and in eyes that are otherwise blind and painful. Enucleation is the removal of the eye that leaves the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of ocular tumors, in eyes that have suffered severe trauma, and in eyes that are otherwise blind and painful. Self-enucleation or auto-enucleation (oedipism) and other forms of serious self-inflicted eye injury are an extremely rare form of severe self-harm that usually results from mental illnesses involving acute psychosis. The name comes from Oedipus of Greek mythology, who gouged out his own eyes. There are three types of eye removal: