An artificial eye cannot completely replicate the cosmesis of your natural eye. It can only make your loss less conspicuous. By properly maintaining your ocular prosthesis your artificial eye will retain the natural appearance desired.

An artificial eye does not last forever and is not permanent. Since the prosthesis is custom fitted and individually painted for the eye socket at the time of an appointment, changes in socket size and contour will develop over the years due in general to natural and pressure atrophy. When this occurs a new prosthesis should be fabricated to conform to the present size and contour of the orbital cavity or phthisical globe.

The guidelines below will help maintain the comfort and wearability, and will promote the longevity of your eye prosthesis.

• General Care
• Wearing
• Removal
• Replacement

GENERAL CARE:

• Have your prosthetic and ocular cavity checked on a regular basis. An ill-fitting prosthetic can injure your socket permanently, affecting the comfort, wearability, and/or cosmetic effect of all future fittings. Our guidelines for regular prosthetic checkups are as follows:
  • Adults – at least once a year (we recommend twice a year for cover shells.)
  • Children – at least every six months or possibly more often as determined by the child’s Ophthalmologist and/or Ocularist.
• Remove your prosthetic at regular intervals for cleaning prosthesis and/or ocular cavity, as determined by your Ocularist and/or Ophthalmologist.
• Use sterile water, saline solution, or eye irrigating solution to bathe the eye socket when prosthesis is removed, unless your Ophthalmologist advises differently.
• NEVER use alcohol or an eye-wash that contains alcohol to clean a plastic eye; mild soap, such as Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo (no tears), and water are best.
• When not wearing your prosthetic submerge it in a container of sterile water, saline solution, or eye irrigating solution.
• Special care should be given to the socket when the implant is an integrated type. We will be glad to review this with you and advise you as to a cleaning regiment.
• It is impossible to tell you how long your prosthetic will last. Each individual’s case is unique.
• If your prosthesis feels dry you can use over-the-counter wetting or lubrication drops, i.e. Viva, Enuclene, Tears Again MC, Lobob, or Artificial Tears. Your Ocularist can recommend the solution that would be the best for your individual case.

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WEARING:

To wear an artificial eye successfully, we suggest the following:

• Practice moving your head and shoulders, not just your eyes.
• Point your nose directly at the person you are conversing with to compensate for any lack of eye motion.
• Try to overcome being self-conscious about wearing an artificial eye.
• Wipe your prosthesis (if you must) gently toward your nose to avoid turning it or having it fall out. NEVER wipe, rub, or pull your lower lid down because this action may extrude the prosthesis.
• Remember that a pleasing natural effect is more desirable than an exact duplicate of your sighted eye, which can be obvious.
• Wear small-framed spectacles. Large spectacles may draw attention to your eyes. Some eye socket conditions can be improved with prism corrections; slightly tinted lenses will reduce the surface reflections of an artificial eye.
• Avoid wearing a roughened or ill-fitting artificial eye because it could injure your socket. Have your prosthetic checked regularly.

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REMOVAL:

1. Dip the open end of suction cup in water
2. Lift your upper lid by the eyelash margin
3. Squeeze the suction cup and place it on the iris color of the prosthesis and then stop squeezing

   For a prosthesis where there is NOT a natural blind globe present:

4. Remove the prosthesis by depressing the lower lid at the eyelash margin with one finger and tilting the lower edge of the prosthesis up and over the lower lid and then pulling the prosthesis out from beneath the upper lid.

   For a prosthesis where there IS a natural blind globe present:

4. Remove the prosthesis by raising the upper lid at the eyelash margin and tilting the prosthesis out from beneath the upper lid and bringing it out over the corneal area. The cornea is very sensitive!

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REPLACEMENT:

1. Dip the open end of the suction cup in water
2. Place the suction cup on the color of the prosthesis
3. Rub a “wetting solution for lubricating” on the surface of the prosthesis
4. Lift your upper lid by the eyelash margin so that there is a space between the eyelid and the blind globe or tissue covered implant
5. Place the top of the prosthesis (numbers at top) underneath the upper lid
6. Release the upper eyelid
7. Depress your lower lid and place the prosthesis behind the lower lid
8. Squeeze the suction cup to release from the prosthesis.

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