Artificial Eye – Ocularist John Stolpe

Los Angeles Artificial Eye – John Stolpe Ocularist

An artificial eye can help an individual who has suffered eye trauma or eye loss live a happy, “under the radar” life. At the office of ocularist John Stolpe, we create the highest quality artificial eyes in LA, with a dedication to care that is second to none, helping you get back to living a normal life.

John Stolpe comes from 3 generations of ocularists and draws upon his family’s legacy of innovation in his own practice. His grandfather helped pioneer the evolution of the artificial eye away from glass and to modern day acrylic, when he was serving as a medic in WWII. Acrylic has several advantages over the glass that was previously commonly used. First, unlike glass, acrylic cannot shatter. Second, acrylic can be custom fit easily to sit comfortably in any socket. And third, acrylic can be fit with a digital iris.

While many artificial eye ocularists still paint irises by hand (an admirable and worthy skill), the office of John Stolpe is pioneering the manufacture of digital irises. We believe digital technology represents the future of ocularistry. It creates much more accurate reproductions of existing irises, with a level of precision impossible with the human hand. We are able to reproduce these results time and again. And since we spend less time worrying about the look of the iris, we can spend more time on achieving the ideal shape and natural movement. Read more about the manufacture of digital irises for an artificial eye here. 

While artificial eyes are sometimes spherical pieces that fit inside an empty socket, it is important to understand that the pieces we often make are actually shells that fit over an existing eye that is either damaged or unsightly (doesn’t look great). This misconception about artificial eyes can sometimes cause people not to seek the assistance of ocularist when in reality we can be of great help.

Los Angeles Artificial Eye Information – LA Artificial Eye

We often encounter people who tell us that their number one reason for not pursuing an artificial eye is their belief that their eye will need to be removed in order to get a piece from us. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, our pieces can work best when they fit over an existing eye. It is crucial for patients to understand this as, sometimes, after eye trauma, patients will be guided to remove their eye altogether. This is often the cheapest method of dealing with eye trauma because there is no more treatment to pursue — the eye is simply gone. But an empty socket can create all sorts of complications later when the patient is pursuing an ocular prosthetic in the hopes of regaining a “normal” life.

We invite you to set up a consultation today to learn how we can help. Our primary goal is pursing the best solution for each INDIVIDUAL patient, rather than guiding our patients to some solution that may be the most cost effective for the group. We will work with you on everything from insurance, to follow-up and advisements on any additional procedures you may require. Please visit us to see the true difference in the work of ocularist John Stolpe, LA Artificial Eye Specialist.