Frequently Asked Questions

An ocularist is a thoroughly trained professional skilled in the art of fitting, painting and fabricating custom ocular prostheses. In addition to creating custom ocular prostheses, and providing long-term care through periodic examinations, an ocularist provides the patient with complete instructions on the care and maintenance of their prosthesis. Ocularists are not doctors, meaning we cannot diagnose or prescribe you with any medicine.

If you have medical coverage, you should have benefits for our services offered here.  If you do not have medical coverage, we can refer you to agencies that are available to help cover our services.  We also work with Medicare and Medicaid patients.  No matter what your situation, you should always come in for a free consultation so that your specific payment options can be discussed.  Our patients always come first, so do not be afraid to ask.

Unlike glass eyes of the past, today’s artificial eyes are made of PMMA (poly methylmethacrylate), or acrylic plastic.  The PMMA is easier to modify than a glass eye and also won’t shatter when you drop it.

The National Examining Board of Ocularist (NEBO) makes available a certification exam to Ocularists. The National Examining Board of Ocularists is an independent entity whose directors come from the following participating organizations:

· American Academy of Ophthalmology

· American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics

· American Society of Ocularists

· Canadian Society of Ocularists

· Public Members

NEBO awards the title, Board Certified Ocularist (BCO), to those Ocularists who successfully complete a comprehensive two-part written and practical examination. All BCOs must complete continuing education requirements and be recertified by NEBO every six years.

A patient may be fitted with an artificial eye about 6 weeks following surgery. This grace period allows for the eye socket to heal adequately before beginning the fitting process.

Your prosthesis will move just as well as your implant moves within your eye socket.  Eviscerated sockets tend to incorporate better movement, as the orbital muscles are not tampered with and are naturally able to move the inserted implant with the orbital tissue.  Enucleated sockets have more trouble with this movement because the orbital muscles are sewn back onto the implant and in turn they become a bit shorter.  This can vary patient to patient.  Trauma in some cases may also have an impact on your overall movement.

A “stock” eye is an artificial eye that has been mass-produced for no patient in particular. A “custom” eye is an artificial eye that has been made by a certified ocularist to fit a specific patient.

You will receive your custom made prosthesis after 2-3 visits with us at Southeastern Ocularists, Inc.

It is generally recommended that infants under 3 years of age be seen every 3 months; patients under 9 twice yearly, and all other patients at the very least, once a year.

You should return to your ocularist every 6 months for a professional polish and resurfacing. This process will remove any scratches or build-up, decreasing eye irritation, and ensuring that the prosthesis remains comfortable.

The best way to clean your prosthesis is with a mild liquid soap or baby shampoo and water. Wash it with your finger or a soft washcloth and rinse thoroughly. Never use alcohol to clean your prosthesis because it will destroy the plastic.

You should have a new eye made every 3-5 years. The lifetime of the artificial eye’s plastic will depend on each patient and their unique eye socket chemistry.

While an ocular prosthesis helps to improve your appearance, it is important to remember that the primary purpose and function of the prosthesis is to support the soft tissues of the socket, protect the implant, and improve patient comfort.

Most people wear their prosthesis comfortably with no lubrication needed. However, some may find the use of lubricating eye drops necessary because of dryness. Dryness can occur from changes in temperature, wind, allergies, or other medical conditions, such as “dry eye”. Lubricating eye drops are available for purchase at each of our office locations.

You can wear your eye during watersport activities. Just make sure to wear protective eyewear such as googles to ensure that your artificial eye is not lost. Be careful when removing your goggles as, in some cases, the suction may be strong enough to loosen the prosthesis.

As a general rule, you should keep the artificial eye in the socket as long as it is not bothering you (unless otherwise directed by your ocularist). If you find it necessary to remove your artificial eye it should be stored in water or soft contact saline solution to prevent deposits from drying on the surface.

To insert your artificial eye, first make sure that the top of your eye, indicated by one or two colored dots, is aligned with your top eyelid. Pull your upper eyelid up and insert the upper half of your artificial eye. Next, pull your bottom eyelid down to make room for the lower half of your eye. To remove your artificial eye pull your lower eyelid down and the eye should easily slide out.

On our Resources page we have provided some helpful links for you to further educate yourself on artificial eyes. You can also follow us on social media via Facebook and LinkedIn.