There are many reasons why one can have their eye removed, of which the most common are having suffered from a trauma or a tumour which leaves them with a painful and non-seeing eye. When removing an eye (ocular enucleation surgery), or removing the contents of an eye (called ocular evisceration surgery) which is more common, the space left behind is filled with an artificial globe. On top of this implant, a patients own tissues that surrounded the eye are closed again and on top of that one places an artificial eye, a so called prosthesis. Current technology has made it possible to fabricate these prothesis to perfection in both how they fit and how they look. They are hardly distinguishable from the real fellow eye. It can be worthwhile searching out a skilled oculoplastic and orbital surgeon to perform the intervention as it contributes to an aesthetic pleasing outcome and can prevent problems with the fitting of the prosthesis afterwards.
Some patients suffer from a hollow sulcus, which is defined by an exaggerated negative space in the upper or lower eyelid fold and seen as having a deep, empty aspect of the upper or lower eyelid, years after having undergone eye removal surgery. This is especially true when having undergone the surgery at a younger age or when there has been trauma to the eye and orbit. For this condition there are often minimally invasive solutions to be found that will be discussed in more detail in office. Dr. van der Veen is also experienced in performing revision surgeries for solving problems with anophthalmic sockets (orbits without an eye), such as the mentioned hollow sulcus, exposure of previously placed implants or revision of the inner aspects of the eyelid as to provide a better fit for the prosthetic eye. We will be happy to discuss your options during a visit in one of our clinics.
To ensure a perfect fit and the best possible aesthetic outcome we collaborate with the best prosthetists around. For our patients from, or traveling to, Barcelona, we collaborate with Ocular lab (ocularlab.es/en/), one of the most advanced artificial eye laboratories in Europe. For patients in, or traveling to, the Netherlands we work with the great Frederique Bak (https://kunstogen.nl/), who is both a very skilled prosthetist and a delightful person to work with.
If you are looking for an oculoplastic reconstructive surgeon to treat the problem that you have with your anophthalmic socket of the fitting of your prosthetic eye, do not hesitate to contact us at either one of our locations. We will be happy to discuss your options without any further obligations.