Losing an eye is a difficult experience that requires time and possibly even counselling to come to terms with. In addition to the physical loss of vision, there are many underlying social and psychological issues that one will need to address. The loss of an eye may cause a person to be conscious of his or her appearance and his/her self-esteem and confidence may also be affected. While a prosthetic eye will not be able to restore vision in these cases, it does help with addressing the social and psychological effects of the situation.
A prosthetic eye (also known as an artificial eye or a glass eye) is a fixture that restores the appearance of a deformed eye or an eye that has been lost due to trauma. Here are 6 myths about artificial eyes debunked by the Eye Consultants team:
Myth #1: An artificial eye can restore vision and help you see again: While this is a difficult point to make, it is crucial that people realize that while an artificial eye can restore appearance, it will not be able to help you recover lost vision.
Myth #2: An artificial eye will not move naturally and will have a ‘plastic effect’ noticeable by all: If the truth about myth #1 left you disheartened, debunking myth #2 is sure to raise your spirits. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing unnatural about the appearance of an artificial eye. In fact, with proper installation and preoperative and post recovery measures in place, even your friends may not be able to realize that you have an artificial eye.
Myth #3: Artificial eyes can detach and roll off at the slightest of impact: Thanks to Hollywood, the imagery of an artificial eye rolling down the deck of a ship has been imprinted in the minds of people (Hint: Pirates Of The Caribbean). In reality however, this would be unlikely. Artificial eyes are designed with a curved front to retain the shape of the original eye. The back portion of an artificial eye is designed as per the individual’s eye tissue, to make for a customized fit.
Myth #4: You cannot lead an active lifestyle after fitting a prosthetic eye: Fitting an artificial eye is by no means the end of your active lifestyle. You can still participate in physical activities and sports, without worrying about your lifestyle affecting your artificial eye in any way. However, we do advice you to take basic precautions like wearing goggles while swimming, to be on the safe side.
Myth #5: Artificial eyes are high maintenance: The initial process of fitting an artificial eye can be quite time-consuming and expensive. You will need to attend multiple preoperative sessions to determine what is best for you. The artificial eye in itself is quite expensive because of the use of high-quality medical-grade material to replicate the feel and design of the iris, sclera, socket, cornea and vessels. However, once the artificial eye is fitted, there is very little you need to worry about. Most eye surgeons will advise you to keep the eye on at all times, so there is no need to remove your eye every day. You can even sleep with your eye on. Doctors recommend that you visit an eye clinic for an eye check-up and deep clean-up of the artificial eye twice every year. Besides these measures for basic eye care, you do not need to worry about excessive maintenance of your artificial eye.
Myth #6: Artificial eyes can cause pain: This is another misconception that prevents people from undergoing artificial eye replacement. While initial installation of an artificial eye and caring for it later may not exactly paint a pretty picture (we have Hollywood to thank for that again), the process is not as painful as you may think. What’s even better is that you will soon be able to painlessly remove and reinsert your eye without any trouble, once you follow your doctor’s instructions.
Eye Consultants is one of the best eye care specialists in Dubai to offer artificial/prosthetic eye replacement. Each prosthetic eye is crafted to perfection, using custom specifications for each patient. Our patients are our priority at Eye Consultants and we use quality material to mould the eye, to give our patients the experience of natural eye movement and freedom from social inhibitions. We also provide all potential candidates for artificial eye replacement with counselling sessions and follow-up sessions to understand what expectations they have post procedure. Call the specialists at Eye Consultants on +971 (0)4 4211299 to learn more about artificial eyes or to book a consultation.
With age, eye problems have a tendency to crop up and one begins to realize the importance of good eye health and its role in providing quality life.
