An ocular prosthesis is an artificial eye. It is used as a cosmetic replacement for a lost eye.
What is an ocular prosthesis?
In Germany, eye prostheses have existed since the 19th century, and their manufacture is purely manual. An ocular prosthesis is understood to be an artificial eye. It is also commonly known as a glass eye. It is used as an aid to improve the patient’s facial aesthetics. It is not capable of restoring vision. An ocular prosthesis is used after surgical removal or loss of an eye due to an accident. An ocular prosthesis is made by specially trained ocularists. They complete an apprenticeship of 6 to 7 years and must have special manual skills as well as artistic talent. They are also known as ocular prostheticians, artificial eye manufacturers or ocular artists. In Germany, eye prostheses have been made by hand since the 19th century. The production of the first artificial eye in Germany took place in Lauscha in 1835.
Forms, types and types
Eye prostheses can be divided into several forms. In the context of an initial medical treatment, perforated prostheses are initially used. These are collection eyes that have a hole. This facilitates the supply of medications. Another variant is the so-called conformer. These are individually manufactured prostheses without an iris marking. They are used to reconstruct the adnexa or orbit (eye socket). Once the wound healing process of the orbit is complete, another prosthetic fitting is usually performed. This is necessary to ensure a correct fit of the ocular prosthesis. A distinction is made between single-walled shell prostheses, single-walled special prostheses and double-walled reformed prostheses. A single-walled shell prosthesis is used to cover eye stumps or plugs when there is a shrunken eyeball, the implant is extremely large, or the eye sockets offer little space and support. This may be the case, for example, with eyelid malpositions. A single-walled special prosthesis is used when the eye is still present but has shrunk or gone blind and there is a malposition. Double-walled reformed prostheses are used to fit deep-seated plugs or ocular stumps.
Structure and function
Ocular prostheses are always individually custom-made. They are made of either kyrolite glass or plastic. The fabrication of the ocular prostheses is based on the second eye, which is still healthy, in terms of detail and coloring. Tiny details such as the coloration of the eye body, the iris and the red conjunctival veins, which are different for each individual, are taken into account. With the help of heated glass filament rods, the ocularist recreates them within the artificial eye. Kyrolite glass is a special glass that has been used in Germany since about 1850. The material of this glass eye is subjected to fire polishing and has a very smooth and dense surface. Eye prostheses made of kyrolite glass have the property of being well tolerated and easy to care for. Furthermore, they offer a pleasant wearing comfort. Harmful substances are not contained in the glass eyes. With their tissue neutrality, they ensure good hygiene. A glass prosthesis is supplied with tear fluid just like the healthy eye, which prevents it from drying out and gives it a natural shine. There are also no impairments during eyelid blinking. A glass prosthesis can be made in a single session. However, since a glass eye is relatively fragile, the user should always exercise caution when inserting and removing the ocular prosthesis. In addition to eye prostheses made of kyrolite glass, plastic prostheses are also used. They are made of PMMA medical plastic. Compared to the glass eye, they have the great advantage of being unbreakable. However, plastic prostheses are more difficult to handle. In addition, there is a risk of inflammation of the eye socket due to improper fabrication. Making a plastic ocular prosthesis usually requires two visits to an ocularist. It is also recommended to have the prosthesis repolished by a specialist every six months.After about four years, a replacement of the plastic prosthesis is necessary. For use, the ocular prosthesis is simply inserted into the eye socket and removed again. It is advisable not to insert and remove over hard surfaces such as tiles or washbasins.
Medical and health benefits
The use of an ocular prosthesis serves cosmetic purposes and restores facial harmony. Vision, on the other hand, cannot be restored by the artificial eye. An ocular prosthesis is mostly used after the loss of an eye. This can occur due to a disease, an accident or an operation such as enucleation, which involves the surgical removal of the eye. The same is true for tumor surgery, where a lot of tissue is lost. If adjacent body structures are also affected, the ocular prosthesis is occasionally combined with an epithesis. It may also be necessary to remove a blind eye that causes the patient constant pain. Similarly, replacing an eye with an ocular prosthesis is sometimes useful for cosmetic reasons, for example, if there is shrinkage of the eye. Ocular prostheses have the advantage that they often look very similar to a healthy eye. In some cases, the prosthesis can even be moved somewhat, albeit with limitations. For laypersons, an ocular prosthesis is often hardly recognizable, which makes life easier for the wearers of the artificial eye. In this way, those affected gain a higher quality of life. The use of an ocular prosthesis is not possible in every case. A frequent contraindication is the presence of conjunctival problems.
