| Ophthalmic
Plastic Surgery, Orbit And Ocular Oncology
Ocular Prosthesis Clinic
Ocular Prosthesis without downtime: A reality
Felix C Valenzuela flew into Hyderabad on 2nd March, 2006, with just a small backpack. He looked dazed and sleepless having travelled 20 hours non-stop from Mozambique. Originally from Columbia, he was a freelance negotiator primarily with the United Nations, solving conflict situations all across the world. His last assignment brought him to Maputo, Mozambique, where he now lives with his wife and two daughters. He continues to work as an economist and logistics/project management consultant.
Felix sought the removal of his disfigured eye following an accident but he did not want to end up looking like an “ogre”, as he put it. Since there was no possibility of vision in the eye he not only desired quick surgery, but a quick prosthesis too! He had visited doctors in South Africa desperately looking for help. With no solution in sight he read about LVPEI on the Internet and finally arrived in Hyderabad.
After surgery the swelling in the area around the eye came down and the Ocular Prosthesis Department were able to fit an artificial eye for him. Felix was thrilled when he looked into the mirror — the custom made artificial eye looked real! When he boarded the plane home he had a smile on his face and an artificial eye in his pocket, which he would fit once the surgical scars healed completely.
A month later, Felix e-mailed to say that no one in Mozambique believed he was able to get everything done in less than a week! He added, “Just wanted to say thank you for everything — people still do not believe it is a prosthesis!”
The consultant plastic surgeon explains
At times, injury or infection can damage the eye so much that it cannot be treated in any way. Such an eye, in addition to being sightless, can also be painful and disfigured, requiring surgical removal. The empty socket is then measured by a wax cast, and replaced with a custom prosthesis (artificial eye) that looks like the real eye.
In most centers, the artificial eye is dispensed 6-8 weeks following surgery, because the swelling induced by surgery has to resolve completely before accurate measurements can be taken. The patient has to live a restricted life meanwhile, owing to the objectionable look of the empty socket. This also poses a disadvantage for out-station patients who need another visit.
The ophthalmic plastic surgeons and ocularist at LV Prasad Eye Institute have devised a novel technique to address this problem. Following removal of the eyeball, the ocularist takes the socket measurements while the patient is under anesthesia, before the swelling starts. The prosthesis is prepared while the patient recovers from anesthesia, and is placed into the socket the very next day!
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