Our Services
Crafting natural eyes is what we do.
Ocular Prosthesis
The ocular prosthetics are custom-made at our office for each patient, following enucleation or evisceration surgery. When the eye is enucleated, the eye is removed and an implant is put in its place, with tissue covering the implant. When the eye is eviscerated, the contents of the eye are removed, leaving the muscles intact. The enucleation or evisceration will be performed by an ophthalmologist at a hospital. The Ocularist will then fit a custom ocular prosthesis (also known as an artificial eye) approximately 5-6 weeks following the surgery. The fitting and fabrication of a custom ocular prosthesis will take approximately 7-8 hours. This can be completed in a series of appointments throughout one or two days.
Scleral Cover Shells
A scleral cover shell prosthesis is a thin prosthesis that is fit over a phthisical or microphthalmic eye. The fitting and fabrication of a custom shell prosthesis involves several appointments over 2-4 days depending on the individual case. Each case is evaluated and assessed individually. The patient will be advised as to what scheduled appointments are required and the estimated duration when the patient sees the Ocularist.
Build-Up and Adjustments to an Ocular Prosthesis
The ocularist can add additional plastic to the prosthesis for a better fit and comfort for the patient’s eye socket if required. A build-up will take approximately 4 hours to complete. This procedure can correct a dropping eyelid, known as blepharoptosis, or to correct other problems a patient may encounter. However, exact results depend on each individual case.
Ocular Prosthesis Adjustment
An adjustment can be provided when the size of the artificial eye needs to be reduced for fit and comfort. Depending on the type of adjustment, it can take between 1-4 hours. Due to the nature of creating a custom ocular prosthesis, modifications to the size can be completed after it has been fabricated.
Ocular Prosthesis Polish and Check-up
Every prosthesis should be polished and checked by an ocularist twice a year. This is done to remove the salt and protein build-up that accumulates from tears, on the patient’s artificial eyes. A polish and check-up appointment takes approximately 20 minutes. During a check-up, the Ocularist can also check the fit of the ocular prosthesis and answer any questions the patient may have regarding their artificial eye.
Mission Statement
Calgary Ocular Prosthetics is committed to the highest levels of patient satisfaction and the supreme quality of our life-like ocular prosthetics.