What is an example of evisceration?: Medical Emergency and Surgical Procedure

September 30, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the American College of Surgeons, abdominal evisceration can follow surgical wound dehiscence, where the wound re-opens and organs spill out, a rare but life-threatening complication. We will explore what is an example of evisceration in both a traumatic, emergency setting and as a planned surgical procedure.

Quick Summary

Evisceration is the protrusion of internal organs from a wound, often in the abdomen, or the removal of contents from an eye during a planned surgery. Both are serious medical situations.

Key Points

Abdominal Evisceration: A medical emergency where internal organs, like intestines, protrude through a wound, often following surgical dehiscence or trauma.
Ocular Evisceration: A planned surgical procedure to remove the internal contents of an eye, leaving the outer scleral shell and muscles intact.
Evisceration vs. Dehiscence: Dehiscence is the separation of a wound's edges, while evisceration is the more severe condition of organ protrusion that can result from dehiscence.
First-Aid for Abdominal Evisceration: In an emergency, cover the exposed organs with a sterile, moist dressing and place the patient in a low Fowler's position; do not attempt to reinsert the organs.
Causes: Risk factors for surgical evisceration include increased intra-abdominal pressure, poor surgical technique, obesity, malnutrition, and infection.
Prevention: Measures like bracing the abdomen during a cough, avoiding heavy lifting, and managing risk factors can help prevent surgical evisceration.
Treatment: Definitive treatment for abdominal evisceration is emergency surgery, while ocular evisceration is the surgery itself.

Understanding the Concept of Evisceration

In medical terms, evisceration refers to the removal or protrusion of internal organs (viscera) from a body cavity. While the term can refer to a planned surgical procedure, such as removing the contents of an eye, it is most often used to describe a severe medical emergency. The context in which the word is used—whether in a hospital setting discussing surgery or after a traumatic event—is crucial to understanding its meaning.

The Most Common Example: Abdominal Evisceration

In an emergency situation, what is an example of evisceration is the protrusion of abdominal contents, such as the intestines, through an open wound. This can occur as a result of a traumatic injury, such as a stab wound, or, more commonly, as a complication following abdominal surgery. The latter is known as surgical wound dehiscence with evisceration.

Here is a step-by-step example of how abdominal evisceration might occur post-surgery:

Initial Surgery: A patient undergoes an abdominal operation, and the incision is closed with sutures.
Dehiscence: Due to factors like excessive strain (e.g., coughing, sneezing, or straining) or poor wound healing, the surgical incision reopens partially or completely.
Evisceration: The wound opens deep enough for the underlying internal organs to push through the defect and become exposed to the external environment. The protruding organs may look red, swollen, and twisted.

This is a life-threatening event because the exposed organs are at high risk of infection, dehydration, and further damage.

Another Example: Ocular Evisceration

While an abdominal evisceration is an uncontrolled, emergency event, an ocular (eye) evisceration is a controlled surgical procedure. In this case, what is an example of evisceration involves a surgeon removing the internal contents of a patient's eye. The outer white shell of the eye (the sclera) and the eye muscles are left intact. This procedure is performed to relieve pain in a blind eye, to address severe eye trauma, or to manage infection. Afterward, an orbital implant is placed inside the remaining scleral shell to maintain volume in the eye socket.

Causes and Risk Factors for Abdominal Evisceration

Abdominal evisceration from a wound dehiscence is a serious risk for certain surgical patients. Several factors can contribute to its occurrence, including:

Increased Intra-abdominal Pressure: Straining from activities like coughing, vomiting, sneezing, or bowel movements can place excessive pressure on the healing incision.
Poor Surgical Technique: Inadequate wound closure or the use of sutures that are not strong enough can lead to the incision failing.
Patient-Related Risk Factors: Conditions that impair healing, such as obesity, malnutrition, diabetes, and having a weakened immune system, increase the risk.
Wound Infection: An infection at the surgical site can weaken the tissue and hinder proper healing, leading to dehiscence.

Evisceration vs. Dehiscence

It is important to differentiate between dehiscence and evisceration, as one can lead to the other.


Feature	Dehiscence	Evisceration
Definition	The partial or total separation of previously approximated wound edges.	The protrusion of internal organs through a wound opening.
Severity	A serious complication, but less severe than evisceration.	A life-threatening medical emergency.
Visual Sign	The wound edges pull apart, but the deeper tissue layers may still be intact.	Visible internal organs, such as intestines, are spilling out of the wound.
Treatment	May involve antibiotics for infection, specialized wound care, or sometimes re-suturing.	Immediate emergency surgery is required.

First Aid and Treatment for Abdominal Evisceration

Because abdominal evisceration is a medical emergency, immediate and appropriate first-aid measures are critical while waiting for emergency medical services (EMS).

First-Aid Protocol:

Call for Help: Immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
Patient Positioning: Place the patient in a low Fowler's position (head of the bed raised 15-30 degrees) with their knees slightly bent. This minimizes intra-abdominal pressure.
Cover the Wound: Gently cover the protruding organs with a sterile dressing or a clean, moist towel. Use sterile saline solution to moisten the dressing. The goal is to keep the organs moist and prevent contamination.
Do Not Reinsert: Never, under any circumstances, attempt to push the organs back into the abdomen. This can cause further injury and introduce infection.
Keep Calm: Reassure the patient and keep them as calm as possible while monitoring their vital signs.

Hospital Treatment:

Once at the hospital, the patient will be prepared for emergency surgery. The surgical team will carefully clean and examine the exposed organs before returning them to the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall will then be re-closed and repaired.

Prevention of Surgical Evisceration

Preventing surgical evisceration involves both careful surgical technique and vigilant postoperative care. Patients can reduce their risk by following their surgeon's instructions precisely, which may include:

Abdominal Bracing: Splinting the incision with a pillow or a binder when coughing, sneezing, or moving can help support the wound.
Avoiding Heavy Lifting: Strenuous activity or lifting heavy objects should be avoided for several weeks after surgery.
Nutritional Support: Maintaining adequate protein intake is essential for proper wound healing.
Incision Care: Following proper wound care instructions helps prevent infection, a known risk factor.
Bowel Management: Avoiding constipation and straining during bowel movements is crucial.

For more detailed information on surgical wound complications, including dehiscence, you can review resources from the National Institutes of Health.

Conclusion

In summary, what is an example of evisceration is defined by context: a traumatic or post-surgical protrusion of internal organs from a body cavity, or the removal of internal contents during a planned surgical procedure. Abdominal evisceration is a serious emergency requiring immediate professional medical attention, focusing on protecting the exposed organs and preparing for surgery. On the other hand, ocular evisceration is a controlled surgical intervention to manage a damaged or painful eye. Regardless of the type, both represent significant medical events that require specific protocols for management and care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ocular evisceration involves the surgical removal of the eye's internal contents, leaving the outer shell (sclera) intact. Enucleation, by contrast, is the removal of the entire eyeball.

Immediately call 911. While waiting for help, do not attempt to push the organs back inside. Instead, cover the protruding organs with a sterile, moist dressing, such as a sterile saline-soaked gauze, and position the person with their knees slightly bent to reduce abdominal pressure.

The most common cause is wound dehiscence, or the reopening of a surgical wound. This can be triggered by sudden increases in abdominal pressure from coughing or sneezing, infection, or factors that impede healing like obesity or poor nutrition.

Yes, evisceration can occur as a result of a traumatic injury, such as a stab wound to the abdomen. The force of the trauma can create a defect in the abdominal wall, allowing internal organs to protrude.

No, while it is a known surgical complication, abdominal evisceration can also occur following traumatic injuries like penetrating stab wounds, not just after surgery.

Signs can include a feeling of the wound pulling or ripping apart, bleeding, or excessive drainage from the wound. In a less severe dehiscence, the wound edges may simply no longer meet, and a deeper separation can lead to evisceration.

Prevention strategies include educating patients on how to brace their incision when coughing or straining, avoiding heavy lifting, ensuring adequate nutrition, and vigilant wound care to prevent infection.

After the contents of the eye are removed during an ocular evisceration, a spherical implant is placed inside the remaining scleral shell. This helps maintain volume in the eye socket and provides a base for an artificial eye (prosthesis) to be fitted later.