Artificial Eye
What is an
Artificial Eye?
An artificial
eye (prosthetic eye) is usually made of Perspex or glass. A prosthetic eye is
used when the natural eye has been removed due to compelling circumstances like
a tumour in the eye, an accident damaging the eye irreversibly, a painful non
seeing eye following eye surgery or eye conditions. The natural eye is
spherical; hence it needs to be replaced with something spherical. This explains
why we use spherical orbital implants. Adequately sized orbital implants
prevent the artificial eye from having a sunken and deep set appearance. The
artificial eye is placed in front of this spherical implant. The artificial eye
is made after taking an impression of the socket and then painted to match the
unaffected eye.
Who
can wear an artificial eye?
Artificial eyes
can be worn at any age though it is commoner in adults. However as wearing an
artificial eye is not uncomfortable children can also be given one if they have
lost an eye due to any reason e.g. tumour or trauma.
Why
would an eye need to be removed?
The only cause
for preventable blindness is accidental trauma. The following accidents are
common causes for severe eye trauma which may result in the eye having to be
removed; hammering on metal without eye protection, using motorised saws without
eye protection, bar fights followed by ‘bottling’, car accidents where seatbelts
have not been worn when the eyes are traumatised by glass from the shattered
windscreen.
Facts about
the Artificial Eye
Movement
It is possible
to detect an artificial eye, generally because it does not move as well as the
real eye. However, there are techniques available to correct this, so that the
artificial eye moves better. Not only may the artificial eye lack full
movement, but it may also be a little deep set. This will draw more attention
to the eye when people look at you. New techniques are available that may
improve this sunken appearance dramatically.
Deep set
artificial eye
A sunken
appearance of the artificial eye may be seen not too infrequently. When no
orbital implant is inserted at the time of removal of the real eye, it results
in a deep set artificial eye. Even if the artificial eye is rather big, it may
not be big enough to correct for this loss of volume. Over the years the fat
behind the artificial eye may slowly disappear, probably due to absorption of
orbital fat. Correction of this problem is nowadays an relatively easy
procedure.
Droopy
eyelids
A droopy upper
eyelid is generally a longstanding problem that may develop partly due to
ageing, but the repeated removal and insertion of the artificial eye is possibly
a contributing factor. An inadequately sized orbital implant may also be
responsible for droopy eyelids. Hence the treatment of this problem needs to
be individualised.
Dropping
artificial eyes
The constant
dropping out of an artificial eye may be due to laxity of the lower lid,
disappearance and re-absorption of the fat in the socket or when patient’s
orbital implant is too small.
Colour
Colour of the
iris and the blood vessels are professionally made by an ocular prosthetist who
has obtained dedicated training in fitting individualised prostheses. The
oculoplastic surgeon is unable to improve this for you, but the ocular
prosthetist is likely to be of a |