Welcome Seniors & Caregivers
 

Your Primary and Secondary Concerns: You have had the good fortune of living most of your prime years with binocular vision, and are now faced with the (primary concern) loss of depth perception, due to the physical loss of an eye.  You have already experienced this monocular phenomenon by having everything appear closer than it really is.  This was first evident when you poured a cup of coffee and missed the cup, or you set a glass down and missed the edge of the table, and when walking you may have misjudged the depth of a curb.  Fortunately, if you must drive immediately after an eye loss, you will not be bumping into the car in front of you, or scraping the curb when parallel parking.  In both instances, you will have about a six-foot gap!  To compensate for this loss of depth perception, you will learn little tricks or techniques in 'seeing and touching' objects to compensate for monocular sight.  The length of time to adjust varies with the individual.  To hasten your rehabilitation, we can recommend an excellent book entitled "A Singular View."  It describes "The Art of Seeing With One Eye."  The American Medical Journal says "this book is written as a manual for the 'newly one-eyed,' and addresses the problems that occur during daily living with monocular vision."  You may want to check with your local library or possibly purchase a copy.

The (secondary concern) involves the prosthetic eye replacement.  Here, we can put your mind at ease (because your concerns are now being shared with your ocularist).  To be aware of the coming event, namely; the process of taking an impression of the cavity, the trial fitting of a prosthetic model, the iris painting of your fellow eye and other steps that lead to the completed prosthesis, you may review the Procedures Section.  There you will also find: Hygiene instructions for care of the prosthesis, eyelids and eye lashes, and how the prosthesis can be removed (if necessary) and the proper technique of reinserting the prosthesis.  Being informed prior to our meeting helps minimize any anxiety you may have.

Your Ocularist Concerns: Unlike the problems confronted in pediatric ocularistry, where the congenital abnormalities show a micro-development of the eyelids and globe, some geriatric related problems following enucleation of the eye are the direct opposite.  Prior to the newer avascular and porous type implants that were designed to replace orbital volume loss and provide motility to the overlying ocular prosthesis, we still have on occasion experienced patients with moderate to severe laxity of the external adnexa (skin and muscles in the eyelids).  This can result in a number of aberrations such as: a ptosis of the upper eyelid (lid droop), an atonal weakness (sag) in the lower eyelid, and/or following loss of orbital fat in the superior sulcus, a depression or sinking-in of the upper lid can occur.  Within the cavity, there can be a gravitational migration of the adipose tissue (orbital fat that cushioned the eye) resulting in a shallow cul-de-sac (space under the lower eyelid) and a possible overlap of this tissue over the implant.  In most instances, the ocularist can compensate for these aberrations by reshaping the periphery of the ocular prosthesis and modifying its anterior curvature once a working prosthetic model has been fashioned from the impression of the cavity.  If any of these described conditions prevail, the time allotted for the fitting session may be extended.

Some Commonly Asked Questions:

• How do I tell the top of the prosthetic eye from the bottom?
• My vision is very poor in the remaining eye, how will I be able to identify top from bottom if I cannot see the black dot(s) marking?
• How do I remove and insert of the prosthesis?
• My fingers are not as nimble as they use to be.  I don't know if I can squeeze the rubber suction cup to remove the artificial eye, and the hands are not that steady to catch the eye if I try to use my fingers for removal.  What else can I do?
• Will I be able to see with this prosthesis?
• Will the allergy season and summer heat be of any concern?
• Will very cold temperatures have any affect on wearing the prosthesis?
• Why does secretion accumulate on the lower eyelid and lashes?

A complete list of all frequently asked questions about ocular prostheses may be found in our FAQ index.  As always, if you need a specific questions answered, please ask any of our staff ocularists.

Quick References

• Listing of Retinal Specialists in New England
• Listing of Oculoplastic Surgeons in New England
• Gordon Kolberg (BCO) Information & Patient Support Page
• Medicare Ocular Prosthetic HCPCS Codes & Descriptions

Links to All Other References

Appointment   Directory   Complete FAQ   Glossary