![]() Like the conformer, the glass eye is shaped like a curved shell that fits behind the eyelids and in front of the implant. When it's time to insert the new prosthetic eye, the conformer is removed. An ocularist is a professional who specializes in custom-crafting artificial eyes.Īt your first visit with the ocularist, the creation of a prosthetic eye that matches the appearance of the remaining natural eye will begin. Once your surgeon thinks your eye socket is ready for a glass eye (approximately 3-6 weeks after surgery), you will be referred to an ocularist. If everything is healing properly, you will be given topical antibiotic drops or ointment to apply to the area several times daily for a couple of weeks. You may be given oral antibiotics and steroids to take until your follow-up visit four to six days later.Īt your first follow-up visit, your eye doctor will remove your patch and examine the surgical wound. ![]() Some surgeons allow the patch to be removed on the day after surgery and replaced daily by the patient while others may require the patch to be left in place for a few days. ![]() Some patients may need medicine for nausea, which usually lasts only a day or two.Ī pressure patch will be applied immediately after enucleation surgery. Occasionally, a prescription pain medication may be required. It's common to have a headache the first day or two after surgery, but this typically can be managed with over-the-counter headache medicine, such as Tylenol, every six hours. The conformer serves as a placeholder for theĪrtificial eye that is fitted several weeks later, after swelling has subsided and sufficient healing has taken place. Occasionally, a single stitch is placed in the eyelids to temporarily sew them together for a few days. Local anesthesia is often applied at the end of the surgery so you will experience little or no discomfort when you wake up in the recovery room afterward.Īn ocularist polishing an ocular prosthesis (glass eye).Ī small plastic conformer that resembles half an almond shell is placed behind the eyelids to maintain their shape after surgery. What Can I Expect Immediately After Enucleation Surgery?Įnucleation surgery typically is performed under general anesthesia, so you won't feel any discomfort during the procedure. The most common reasons for surgical removal of an eye include: eye cancers (for example: choroidal melanoma retinoblastoma) trauma uncontrollable infection end-stage glaucoma or any condition that causes ongoing, unmanageable eye pain in a blind eye.Īlso, unsightly blind eyes frequently are removed in order to rehabilitate the eye socket and offer the patient a better cosmetic alternative. SEE RELATED: Bionic eye, bionic lens and mechanical eye implants When Is Enucleation Necessary? Attaching them to the implant offers the patient some movement of the artificial eye after surgery. These muscles are attached to a round (marble-like) implant that replaces the tissue volume lost when the eye is removed. The muscles that were attached to the outside of the eyeball to control its movement and other tissues that surrounded the eye within the bony socket of the skull are left intact. What Is Enucleation?Įnucleation is surgical removal of an entire eye. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about surgical eye removal and the manufacture, fitting and care of prosthetic eyes. ![]() Modern prosthetic eyes are custom-made and matched in size and color to the remaining natural eye in such detail that it's often difficult for others to notice that a person is "wearing" a glass eye. ![]() Procedure typically is fitted with a custom-made prosthetic eye (also called an artificial eye, "glass eye" or ocular prosthesis).Īlthough a prosthetic eye cannot restore vision, it can provide a more natural appearance. Once the affected eye is surgically removed, the person undergoing the enucleation The most common type of procedure to remove a badly damaged or diseased eye is called enucleation. In cases of severe eye injury, eye cancer or other serious disease of the eye, it may be impossible to save the eye and the eyeball must be surgically removed. By Amy Hellem reviewed by Charles Slonim, MD ![]()
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