Artificial Eye: A Ray Of Hope For Blinds

 

ARTIFICIAL EYE

According to the WHO current report:

·         Globally the number of people of all ages visually impaired is estimated to be 285 million, of whom 39 million are blind.

·         People 50 years and older are 82% of all blind.

·         The major causes of visual impairments are uncorrected refractive errors (43%) and cataract (33%); the first cause of blindness is cataract (51%).

 

Natural Eye

As per the Society for the Prevention of Blindness, approx 10,000, to 12,000 people lose an eye per year. And 50% or even much more of these eye losses are caused by an accident. If we see there are various inherited conditions that can cause eye loss or they may require an artificial eye.

If we talk about Microphthalmia is a birth defect where for some unknown reasons the eye does not develop to its normal size, these eyes are totally blind or might have some perception.

Before the invention of the artificial eye, a person who lost an eye used to wore a patch. Many times in an accident, injury, or due to any disease many people lost their natural eye, artificial eye developed for the replacement of this natural eye.  As the replacement of the natural eye with an artificial one cannot provide sight, it fills the cavity of the eye socket and serves as a cosmetic enhancement.

This artificial eye can be attached to muscles in the socket to provide eye movement. Today, most artificial eyes are made up of plastic and have an average life of approx 10 years. In the case of children, it requires more frequent replacement of the prosthesis due to rapid growth changes.

Artificial eye name “Ocular prosthesis” is implanted in patients who have lost their eyes due to an accident or due to various causes, like, surgery, trauma, cancer, or also in patients with shrunken damaged eyes which is also called phthisical eyes, due to the congenital absence (anophthalmos) or due to abnormally small-sized eyes (microphthalmos) with no visual potential.

If our entire eye is removed, an ocular implant and prosthesis prevent the tissues in the eye socket from growing to fill the empty space present there. But If we talk about the prosthetic eye, then it can not restore vision. After the removal of our natural eyes and placement of prosthetic one in that place, a person will have no vision in that eye.

 

Cost of an artificial eye

The Geelens make and fit two to three prosthetic eyes in a week and each eye cost about $1,500, In Indian rupees, it is approximately Rs.1,09,441, but given the amount of time they put in making and fitting each.

 

Life of prosthetic eye

In adults on an average, you will need a new artificial eye every three to five years. But in a newborn baby, it potentially needs a new expander or conformer on every four to six weeks depending on their conditions and on their growth rate.

Artificial Eyes

 

Is it painful to remove eye?

Yes, absolutely, your eye may feel a little painful, you will be given a pain killer if you need them, so that you may get some sort of relief from pain. Your dressing will be removed, the day after the operation of the patient.

 

 

Process

For a conventional implant, the surgeon removes the eyeball by serving the muscles, which are connected to the “white position of the eyeball” (sclera). Then the surgeon cuts the optic nerve and removes the eye from the socket. An implant is then take placed into the socket to restore the lost volume and to give the artificial eye some movement, and then the wound is closed.

The iris color is then checked out so that there are not any necessary changes left to make. The plastic conformer is reinserted so that the final steps can be completed accurately. From this invention people suffering from low vision to, people who lost their eyes are benefited.

 

What will happen after the operation?

After the operation, the patient ends back to the ward, and his eye will be covered with a firm dressing to help in reducing the swelling and this will stay in place for about one to two days. After the operation, your eye may feel a little painful, you will be given a pain killer if you need them, so that you may get some sort of relief from pain.

The day after the operation the dressing of the patient will be removed. At that time, the eyes of the patients look red, but the color changes to pink as it starts healing.

The patient will be able to see the clear plastic shell that has been placed in his eye socket. There has a hole in the middle to help with airflow and drainage, it should be removed but should stay in place until the socket of the patient heals and a temporary artificial eye is able to be fitted.

The nursing staff present there will show you how to clean your eye socket and give you some information in taking care of your eye and shell. When the patient goes home it is best to keep his eye uncovered to help in healing but the patient can wear dark glasses until the swelling goes down. In a very rare case, the shell may fall out, this is rarely happening, but if it does, the patient must have to follow the cleaning and care instructions the nursing staff gives you after the patient's operations. After the removal of your eye, you may feel upset, your emotions may fluctuate as you realize you are losing, or you have lost, a part of you.

This is all normal and will improve over time.