Artificial Eye Fitting and Color
Learn about Artificial Eye Fitting and Color
In this article, I will discuss Artificial Eye Fitting and Color. Moreover, getting the best possible artificial eye is a combination of fit and color. We discuss our color processes on the digital irises section of our website. Achieving great fit is sometimes a complex matter involving your ocularist working within a team of eye specialists. These specialists include:
- Optometrist – Optometrists deal with glasses and optics, usually to maximize vision. In ocularistry, it is helpful to have an optometrist on the team who can prescribe cosmetic optics as prescribed by the ocularist. These lenses enhance the appearance of the prosthesis and maximize symmetry.
- Ophthalmologist – An Ophthalmologist is the doctor of the eye. Their specialties range widely, from retina to cornea doctors and everything in between. A patient who has lost an eye may need different ophthalmologic specialties depending on their exact situation and their complications.
- Oculoplastic Surgeon – An oculplastic surgeon is a plastic surgeon of the eye. Often these surgeons do other facial procedures, including fillers, Botox and other injectibles.
- ASOPRS – a Board Certified Oculoplastic Surgeon, representing years of competency and training
- Anaplastologist – An anaplastologist is somebody trained in fabricating artificial body parts other than limbs. This may include part of a face or an ear.
Choosing an Ocularist
Artificial Eye Fitting and Color
It is important, when choosing an ocularist, to find someone with experience working with all of these specialists, and has good relationships with them. Why? Because when surgery is involved, it should always be completely necessary…and happen at the right point in the process.
In artificial eye patients, the complexity of achieving ocular symmetry (the eyes looking the same) can vary dramatically. For example, some people have very good natural anatomy, and others have severe disfigurement — in the cases of severe trauma, for example, where an eye has been completely removed.
The goal of an ocularist is achieve maximum symmetry. When perfect artificial eye fit and symmetry is not always achievable by the ocularist, it is important for the patient to choose an ocularist who has experience working with Oculoplastic surgeons. Surgeons either put finishing touches, or lay the entire foundation, for the prosthetic eye.
Artificial Eye Patients
Artificial Eye Fitting and Color
Depending on a person’s specific anatomy and complications, they may require surgery before a prosthetic fitting, after, or in some combination. When beginning to work with a patient, we use a modified impression fitting technique: an impression is taken, and that form is used as the starting point for the artificial eye. From there, an involved process of perfection is undertaken: we modify and modify the prosthesis until we get it right.
However, if the patient would have benefitted from surgery at the start of the process, this lengthy modification period may not not be as optimal as it could be. Other patients need only 1 small modification by a surgeon after the fitting. In order to optimize this delicate combination of surgery and fitting, good communication between the surgeon and the ocularist is crucial.
We are very fortunate in Los Angeles to have some of the best surgeons worldwide right at our doorstep. Patients benefit by being treated in this part of the world, where highly experienced professionals are available to do this work for patients needing to fit their artificial eye.
The entire team necessary to achieve the ideal results for the patients is right here and is loaded with experience, having done hundreds of these procedures per year, versus a handful.
It is our recommendation that patients needing any kind of ancillary work, such as botox, touch-ups, or other prosthetics, always see a professional with years of competency and training in doing such work.