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By your side from the very beginning

The Treatment Process for New Patients

Before your first visit to our practice, many questions often arise, which we would like to answer on this page to give you an overview of the upcoming treatment steps. Our goal is to make you feel well cared for in our practice, which is why we take the time to establish a trusting relationship.

Immediately after enucleation surgery, a conformer (spacer) is usually placed in the eye socket and should not be removed before the first visit to our practice. If no conformer has been placed, you should promptly schedule an appointment for the fitting of a temporary prosthesis.

About four to six weeks after the surgery, the swelling in the eye socket will have subsided enough to allow for the first fitting of an ocular prosthesis. During this initial appointment, a form model will be created as a template for your custom prosthesis. In the next step, we define your exact eye color and shading. A model eye serves as a template for the custom prosthesis, which will be crafted precisely to match your shape and color.

After a detailed consultation on handling and care, you can take your new ocular prosthesis home immediately.

The Further Adjustment

Since the anatomical conditions of the eye socket may change during the first two to three months after the initial fitting, a follow-up examination is recommended during this period. During this appointment, the fit of your prosthesis will be checked and adjusted to ensure optimal comfort and the best possible aesthetic appearance.

Glass or Plastic?

Which material provides the best care for your eye socket is determined individually. Our goal is to select the optimal solution for your specific situation. To make this decision, we evaluate various important factors together, ensuring the chosen material is the best fit for your unique needs.
Jede der von uns handgefertigten Augenprothesen aus Glas, ist eine individuelle Einzelanfertigung aus hochwertigem Kryolithglas, welches speziell für Menschenaugen hergestellt wird. Seine Vorzüge liegen in der ausgezeichneten Benetzbarkeit der äußerst glatten feuerpolierten Oberfläche (Tränenfilm), die ein angenehmes, reizfreies Tragen gewährleistet, sowie in der chemischen Neutralität des Glases (daher keine Allergien bekannt).
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Questions and Answers

For questions about fitting an ocular prosthesis, contact a certified ocularist (eye prosthetist) near you. Information is available from your ophthalmologist, the German Society of Ocularists (DOG), or directly through our practice.
The costs for an artificial eye are covered by all health insurance providers, professional associations, and the Orthopedic Supply Center (OVSt). The cost carriers cover the expense of a new artificial eye every year.
NO! After your eye socket has healed, the artificial eye can be inserted without any issues. While this process may feel unfamiliar at first, it is not painful.
The mobility of the artificial eye depends on the functionality of the eye muscles and other factors, and is therefore only partially influenced by the ocularist. However, in most cases, it is surprisingly good.
Thanks to the very smooth and durable surface of a glass ocular prosthesis, the wear duration is approximately 1 to 1.5 years. However, the surface is gradually affected and worn down by tear fluid. Timely replacement of the artificial eye is therefore essential for comfortable and trouble-free use.
In most cases, facial harmony is successfully restored. The anatomical fit, as well as the natural design and coloring, are customized during your appointment with us. The brilliance of the fire-polished material gives the artificial eye a very natural and “lifelike” appearance.

Following your surgery, you should schedule an appointment with your ocularist as soon as possible. During this appointment, you will typically be fitted with a temporary prosthesis (spacer), unless this has already been done in the hospital. Four to six weeks after the surgery, the first custom artificial eye can be fitted. You should plan for a treatment time of approximately two hours for this appointment.

Three months after the initial fitting, you will receive a second prosthesis. This follow-up is important because the eye socket may continue to change during the first few months after surgery (e.g., swelling subsiding), which can affect the fit of the prosthesis.

 

The most established option for artificial eyes is glass. The material used is cryolite glass, specifically manufactured for ocular prostheses. Its greatest advantages include the excellent wettability of the surface (tear film), which ensures comfortable, irritation-free wear, and the chemical neutrality of the glass. In our practice, synthetic materials such as acrylic are used in exceptional cases.