Natural Movement for the Artificial Eye
 Woman
with Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant after secondary implantation.
Only you know the challenge
If you wear an artificial eye, you know the challenge of adjusting to
monocular (single-eye) vision, as well as the hope of maintaining a natural
appearance through the best medical technology available to you.
Unfortunately, even the best medical technology of the past could not always provide an
artificial eye that matched the look and movement of your natural eye. Many patients
enjoyed a good initial appearance following their surgery, only to be disappointed by
problems that appeared later. These problems include: loss of eye movement, migration
(implant drifting), and extrusion (implantrejection).
Today, thanks to a remarkable new orbital implant, it is possible to
create more natural movement for your artificial eye while also giving
it better support.
Consult your ocularist or ophthalmologist. (26K JPEG)
Read the following information carefully. Then consult your ocularist
or ophthalmologist to determine whether you could benefit from this exciting
new technology.
Your artificial eye and orbital implant
When your eye was removed, an ocular implant was probably used to replace the area in the
orbit that was occupied by the eye (Fig. 1). This small, spherical implant was intended to
maintain the natural structure of the orbit and support your artificial eye. The implant
itself is not visible, but instead sits under a layer of tissue beneath your artificial
eye.
Figure 1. Traditional implant and artificial eye. (24K JPEG)
Your artificial eye is the only visible part of the surgical changes to
the socket. The most natural-looking and best-fitting artificial eyes
are hand-crafted by highly skilled ocularists (eye makers) to precisely
match the look of your natural eye.
Natural movement: a goal for over 100 years
Almost as soon as the first orbital implant was created over 100 years
ago, ophthalmologists and ocularists recognized the need for improvement.
Four problems were identified early on:
- poor movement of the artificial eye due to lack of a connection between
the eye and the implant (Fig. 2),
- drooping of the lower lid due to pressure from the artificial eye
(Fig.4),
- rejection of the implant by the tissues of the orbit-now known as
a "foreign body" response
- migration (drifting) of the implant.
Figure 2. Poor eye movement, a common problem with traditional orbital
implants. (34K JPEG)
To overcome these problems, especially the lack of movement, literally
dozens of implant shapes were tested. But none of these designs-some extremely
creative-could eliminate the problems that detracted from a natural appearance.
Finally it was recognized that the problems arose not from the shape of these implants,
but rather from the very material from which they were made. Thus began the search for a
new, fundamentally different materia lfrom which to create a new generation of ocular
implants.
Hydroxyapatite: the natural choice
  Figure
3. Magnified views of bone (left) and hydroxyapatite (right). (43K
JPEG) (26K JPEG)
The goal of a more natural appearance was finally achieved with the help
of a natural material: ocean coral. A remarkable similarity was discovered
between the porous structure of coral and that of human bone (Fig. 3).
A method was soon developed to transform the mineral in coral to match
that of human bone, known as hydroxyapatite. This new, naturally derived
material matches both the porous structure and the chemical structure
of bone. Thus, the tissues of the body will accept-even grow into-these
naturally derived hydroxyapatite implants, and essentially become a "living"
part of the body.
The Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant
The first orbital implant made of hydroxyapatite was implanted in 1985,
and was released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1989.Today,
over 80,000 people worldwide have benefited from this implant, now known
as the Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant.
This unique, patented implant has gained rapid acceptance since its introduction.
In fact, the benefits of natural movement and fewer long-term problems
have made the Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant the implant of choice
among leading eye surgeons worldwide.
You may be a candidate
You may be a candidate for the Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant
if you are experiencing one of the following problems:
- your artificial eye moves poorly,
- your artificial eye rests in an unnatural position,
- your lower eyelid droops (Fig. 4),
- your orbital implant has migrated, or
- your orbital implant is exposed.
Figure 4. Lower lid drooping due to lack of support for the artificial
eye. (26K JPEG)
Working together, your ophthalmologist and ocularist can help determine
whether you could benefit from this new implant, which will depend on
the condition of your orbit, muscles, and surrounding tissues.
The procedure
The Bio-eye orbital implant is implanted surgically, under local or general
anesthesia. In this procedure, your existing implant is removed and is
replaced with a Bio-eye orbital implant. The muscles are then attached
to the implant and the tissues of the orbit are closed over it. A temporary
conformer is placed over these tissues and under the eyelids, to maintain
a space for the artificial eye, and the socket is temporarily patched.
After the swelling has subsided (6-8 weeks), you are ready to visit your
ocularist, who will make a new artificial eye that precisely matches the
shape of your socket and the color of your natural eye.
In some cases, the movement of the artificial eye is satisfactory at
this point. However, you may also request a simple, additional procedure
which is designed to maximize your eye movement and to prevent later problems,
such as drooping of the lower lid. In this optional procedure, a hole
is placed into the implant and a peg is inserted into the hole. Your ocularist
then modifies the back of the artificial eye to accept the head of the
peg, thus forming a ball-and-socket joint (Fig. 5). Once connected in
this way, your new artificial eye will move as the implant moves or "tracks"
along with your natural eye. The peg transfers all available movement
directly to your artificial eye, and also relieves pressure on the lower
lid by supporting some of the weight of the artificial eye.
Figure 5. Bio-eye orbital implant after tissue ingrowth (optional
peg shown). (43K JPEG)
The peg-fitting procedure can only be performed after the implant has
had time to fill with tissue from the orbit-usually about six months after
implantation. A bone scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test can
confirm whether the implant is ready to accept a peg. These tests, as
well as the peg-fitting procedure, are usually painless.
Once your ocularist has properly adjusted your artificial eye, the full
benefits of the Bio-eye orbital implant will be available to you. Of course,
the final results in each case will vary depending on the condition of
your orbit, muscles, and surrounding tissues.
Rising to the challenge
The Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant was developed to help you meet
the challenge of living a healthier, more normal life with your artificial
eye. This remarkable implant has been described as a "dream come
true" by those who can now face each day with a more trouble-free,
natural-looking artificial eye. The benefits of a more natural appearance
and fewer complications have made the Bio-eye Hydroxyapatite Orbital Implant
the natural choice for those who wear an artificial eye.
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