Pediatric Fitting for Prosthetic Eyes

Eye prosthetics for children demand and deserve the utmost care and attention. We take pride in our extensive experience and skill with children. In working with children, we adopt a team approach. It is important for the parents, ocularist, and ophthalmologist to have open communication relating to the care and treatment of the child. We encourage the parents to contact us prior to the first visit concerning any questions related to the care of their child.

Artificial Eye Fitting Process for Children

At approximately 4-6 weeks following enucleation the process begins with a consultation, which provides an opportunity for your child to become comfortable with our ocularist. Since children are usually apprehensive, we find it helpful to provide them a brief and simple explanation of what will be done during the visit.

It is common to expect three to four visits for the initial prosthesis. One-day service is usually not possible as it can often be too traumatic for young patients.

We design the fitting technique to match the individual needs of the patient. In most cases, the ocularist makes an impression mold of the eye socket. Once the prosthesis is completed, an appointment is scheduled for a return visit in 3 months. This is mainly due to growth and color change during the first years of life. It is

often possible to enlarge your child’s current prosthesis and only minor changes are required. This defers the need for a completely new prosthetic eye for at least some period of time. After approximately age 3, follow-up visits to the ocularist can be reduced to every 6 months.

From age 6 to 12, replacements and revisions of the prosthesis are required less frequently. In this age category it is more common to keep the same prosthesis for 3 years or more, using the enlargement option in between. Follow-up visits every 6 months are recommended.

As a full grown adult, the average replacement time is approximately 5 years. Even if there is no required change in shape, the material eventually absorbs body secretions from the eye socket. Adults should continue to have their prosthesis evaluated and polished every 6-12 months.