Eyes with chronic disease can become blind, painful and disfigured. Patients may benefit from removal of such eyes. Trauma can also lead to the recommendation that an eye be removed to prevent sympathetic ophthalmia (a rare condition when an injured eye can cause a “sympathetic” inflammatory reaction in the unaffected eye). An eye can be removed partially (evisceration) or completely (enucleation). In such cases, a sphere is implanted in the orbit and a large contact lens, called an ocular prosthesis, is made by an Ocularist. This is worn over the sphere implant and looks like the normal eye. It is important for the eye socket to be monitored regularly to make sure that it remains healthy, even following the enucleation or evisceration of the eye.
Sometimes it is possible to retain a damaged eye safely, but it remains blind and cosmetically unappealing. In such cases, it may be possible to use a scleral shell to enhance the appearance. Once again, an Ocularist can help with this upon referral by Dr. Lane.
A Different Perspective, is a book that is a comfort for people who are going through eye loss. The book is available for purchase through the link below. The resource includes information about the operation, going back home after surgery, stories of eye loss and recovery, fact sheets, adapting to monocular vision and other helpful resources.
http://artificialeyes.net/books/
Recommended Ocularists in the Area:
Peter Kazanovicz at Studley Ocular Lab
http://artificialeyes.net/ocularists/new-hampshire/bedford-new-hampshire-peter-j-kazanovicz/peter-kazanovicz-locations/
E. Jeffrey Cyphers at Ocular Prosthetics, LLC
1009 Miller Pond Road
Grantham, NH 03753
603-727-2262
Ocularprostheticsllc@hotmail.com
Inserting & Removing an Ocular Prosthesis
Below is a great resource that walks you through inserting and removing an ocular prosthesis:
