Custom Ocular Prostheses

After vision loss, you shouldn’t also feel stressed about changes in your eye’s appearance. Custom ocular prostheses at United Ocular in Midvale, Utah, are expertly tailored to restore the eye’s natural look. They ensure a visual match and precise fitting for aesthetic harmony and comfort. Call the compassionate team today or request an appointment online to learn the process.

What are custom ocular prostheses?

An ocular prosthesis, also called an artificial eye, is an acrylic shell artistically designed to replace a surgically removed eye. At United Ocular, skilled specialists called ocularists create customized prostheses that match your eyes.

The team ensures your new eye has the same color and pupil size as the remaining eye, or you can choose the color if you lose both eyes. The providers also include details like tiny blood vessels that make the prosthesis look real.

While an ocular prosthesis can’t help you see, it restores your appearance, boosts your self-confidence, and enhances your well-being.

When would I need custom ocular prostheses?

An ocular prosthesis replaces your eyes after surgery to remove them. The most common reasons for surgery include:

• Traumatic eye injury
• Severe pain in a blind eye
• Infection that doesn’t heal with medication
• An autoimmune condition
• Inherited vision loss or severe eye conditions
• Cosmetic improvement in blind or disfigured eye
• Benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors

Your surgeon removes an eye when it’s the only way to protect your health.

What happens before getting an ocular prosthesis?

During enucleation surgery, your surgeon removes the eyeball and inserts a round implant to replace it. They attach the muscles to the implant, giving your artificial eye slight movement. Then, they insert a piece called a conformer. 

The conformer is a curved shell that fits in front of the implant and behind your eyelids, maintaining the space for your ocular prosthesis. Your eye needs several weeks to heal before you can meet with your United Ocular provider for a customized artificial eye.

What happens when I get an ocular prosthesis?

Your United Ocular provider carefully measures the eye socket. If you still have one eye, they assess its color and natural characteristics, including the tone of the white area around the iris.

They take an impression of your eye socket and use it to create an acrylic ocular prosthesis. After sanding the new eye to fit your socket, they paint the details and add a clear acrylic coating. Finally, your provider removes the conformer and replaces it with your ocular prosthesis.

Call United Ocular today or request an appointment through online booking to learn more about ocular prostheses and how they can improve your quality of life.