Specialists in the fitting & fabrication of Artificial Eyes and Scleral Shells for disfigured eyes
Your child’s comfort is our most important consideration. The loss of an eye can be a traumatic event for both the child and parents involved. It is normal to experience feelings of grief and loss when dealing with the loss of an eye. The great thing about working with children is that they are very resilient and are easily able to adapt to change.
We make a concerted effort to comfort children by treating them with compassion and understanding. We provide an environment of emotional support that helps to minimize the trauma associated with eye loss.
Fitting a child with an artificial eye posses a unique challenge. While most infants willingly cooperate with the fitting process, there are times when toddlers can become combative. To avoid traumatizing your child, we use an eye fitting method that uses less prosthetic insertions than other methods.
The Process
We gently instill alginate material ( no needles) into and around the socket. This impression allows us to read a duplicate copy of the socket and prepare a template that will fit the unique anatomy of the socket. This process is very similar to the way a Dentist might takes an impression of teeth. This is a 90 second procedure that requires the child to be relatively still.
While this procedure is not painful, it can sometimes be uncomfortable for the child to sit still for the process. In most cases we are usually able to do this in our office. In some cases we are required to take the impression in a hospital setting under anesthesia.
Our sensitive approach to fitting children and our comfortable and supportive environment helps to make the eye fitting process less painful. Remember that the best prosthetic fit and function is always accompanied by a structurally sound socket and lids.
Conformer Therapy
Children with Anophthalmia/Microphthalmia should be followed closely by the physician and Ocularist. The continued growth of the orbit is very important for facial development and if the orbital globe is too small or missing, the structure of the socket may not develop properly. Conformers are impression fit plastic structures that are fabricated to help support and stimulate the growth of the eye socket and bones of the face. Conformers are primarily used in situations where the socket is not large enough to accommodate a prosthesis. Conformers are changed frequently to accommodate growth in the socket and are eventually replaced with an ocular prosthesis.
Child with blind residual eye
Alginate impression of socket
Blank fitting template
With prosthesis in place
Pediatric Services
