Artificial Eye Patients are in the Dark

Artificial Eye Patients are in the Dark. Many prosthetic eye patients do not know that there are differences in quality of artificial eyes, and in the level of service they will get from their ocularist. One of our goals at Advanced Artificial Eyes is to communicate more directly with patients about why our work and our eyes are the best. We will always strive to provide the highest quality prosthetic eye service possible.

Most artificial eye patients find an ocularist through the referral of an oculoplastic surgeon. These doctors often have 1 ocularist whom they refer their patients to over and over. This may be because they do not know there are other options out there and have simply gotten in the habit of referring to one person. When a surgeon refers a patient to an ocularist, the patient usually never learns that there are other options in the area.

Some patients who are their own advocates may notice that the work they receive from their ocularist referral is less than stellar. However, we have worked with several patients who were belittled by ocularists when they pointed out deficiencies in the work. Because patients did not know there were other options available to them, they lived with unprofessional, disrespectful, and less than excellent care for years.  Sadly, it takes just this type of crisis for patients to find a provider who will give them high quality care.

We are trying to break down the barriers that are prohibiting patients from getting the finest work from the get go through a collaborative approach. We are joining with other ocularists around the country who are doing top of the line work, including Fred Harwin and Walter Johnson. We believe our collaborative approach will have the effect of exposing our field to some light, and we hope that surgeons will become more aware of quality asymmetry and begin to understand and explain to patients their various options.

It is unfortunate that, after the trauma of losing an eye, patients must deal with being in the dark on their quality of care. We hope to reduce the emotional scars by reaching out more directly and explaining just how great an ocularist’s care can be. To learn more about our values and our approach, please read our page on “The Collaborative Approach.”