

Initially, a temporary prosthetic conformer, made of clear plastic, is put in place over the orbital implant. This implant can also be “pegged,” or connected to the back of the overlying prosthesis, to allow even more natural movement of the eye. The benefit of this implant is that it prevents slippage within the socket. The tissue from your orbit will grow into the small holes of the material, in effect making the implant part of your body. There are two types of implants: a solid, marble-like ball or an “integrated” implant made of porous material. The tissues surrounding the eye-the tenon’s capsule and conjunctiva-are then closed over the implant. In an enucleation, the extraocular muscles are detached from the sclera and then attached to the implant. In an evisceration, the implant is wrapped by the sclera, with the extraocular muscles still attached. Your surgeon will decide which surgery is right for you.Īt the time of enucleation or evisceration, an implant is placed within the orbit or within the remaining scleral shell, to replace the missing socket volume.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says that both procedures generally result in the same appearance. The muscles that control eye movement are left intact and attached to the artificial eyeball. An enucleation removes the entire eyeball from the socket.An evisceration removes the contents of the eye and the cornea (the clear, dome-shaped outer layer of the eye) while the sclera, the white of the eye, remains connected to the eye muscles.There are two types of surgery to remove an eye. To safeguard your remaining eye, your doctor will likely recommend that you wear protective glasses at all times after surgery.People with an artificial eye sometimes require additional surgery because the soft tissue of the eyelids and sockets can change over several years.You’ll need to go in for occasional polishing, to prevent potential problems. Over time, the prosthesis should become more comfortable and eventually go unnoticed, but a prosthetic eye can become uncomfortable due to scratches or dullness on its surface, which can irritate the underside of the eyelids when blinking. It takes a while to adjust to an artificial eye.Campbell Waldrop, an ophthalmologist in Fresno, California, in a RealSelf Q&A. Changes in the eye socket are to be expected with the loss of an eye, but “a skilled ocularist can often build up the ocular prosthesis in such a way that the eyelid sits in a more normal, symmetrical position,” says Dr.A custom-made prosthetic eye can so accurately resemble a companion eye that it can be difficult for others to tell it’s artificial.Still, a prosthetic eye can be so well-matched to the remaining eye that other people may not notice that it isn’t real. The pupil size of a prosthetic eye won’t change in response to light, however, so the pupils of your two eyes won’t always look the same. The eye muscles will be attached to the implant, so the prosthetic eye can move in sync with your remaining eye, just not as fully. Blood vessels on the white of the eye are carefully added to match the companion eye. It’s matched in size and color to recreate the complex detail of the iris, the colored part of the eye. The prosthesis is custom-made by an ocularist to closely resemble all aspects of a person’s natural eye. The most common material used is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), also used in bone substitutes, dental implants, and to remove wrinkles. Though it’s sometimes called a “glass eye,” the vast majority of ocular prostheses are made of medical-grade acrylic, a type of plastic. The implant is permanently embedded in the eye socket to maintain orbital volume. The prosthesis itself is a curved shell that fits over an ocular implant like a large contact lens. It’s not actually an eye, so it won’t restore your vision, and-contrary to what most people think-only the visible portion is round. A prosthetic eye (aka an ocular prosthesis) is an artificial device that creates a natural appearance after the surgical removal of a damaged or diseased eye.
