Patient Resources
RESOURCES
New Patient Information
You will soon be in our office to start the process of making your prosthetic eye. We would like to give you some information about your appointments. Please note this is a basic description of your visits and when you are here we will go into greater detail and answer all your questions.
Your Evaluation Appointment
You will have an evaluation appointment about 4-6 week after surgery. This appointment lasts about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Our Ocularists will evaluate your socket, review your history and fit you to a temporary prosthesis. You will wear this temporary eye for 4-6 weeks while any additional healing occurs. You will also be told the details of your next appointment as well as any insurance requirements there may be.
Your Custom Eye Appointments
At our Monoplex office we have the unique capability to make your custom ocular prosthesis in one day. This appointment usually takes 6 hours but can be done in several shorter appointments if necessary. When you arrive we will start with another socket evaluation and have a discussion on how you did with the temporary prosthesis. The custom eye appointment then consists of several different sessions that take anywhere from 10-45 minutes at a time. There will at least two long breaks between the sessions in which you will be able to leave the office for breakfast or lunch. We will be happy to direct you places in the area. Because there are shorter waits in between the different sessions we recommend you have a book with you and maybe some snacks. We do have coffee, tea, hot chocolate and magazines available for you in the waiting room.
Since we complete the prosthetic eye from start to finish here, you will be able to see the whole process. There is even a time when you will sit with our Ocularist and watch as he hand paints your eye. If you are interested we can also show you our lab where all the eyes are made. At the end of the day you will be leaving with your completed eye. We again will go over how to care for your eye as well any insurance requirements. You next appointment will be in 6 weeks for a follow-up.
At our other offices ther process of getting your new custom eye is broken up into several visits.
Your Six Week Appointment
This is the last appointment for your new prosthetic eye. It will be about 6 weeks after you received your prosthesis. We will go over any questions you may have, as well as give your eye a cleaning and polish. We may also make any adjustments that the prosthesis needs. From this point you will see us every six months for a cleaning and polish.
About Your Ocular Prosthesis
Your ocular prosthesis is made of a very fine medical grade plastic that is molded, colored and polished to create a realistic and comfortable artificial eye. The plastic is lightweight, yet tough enough to resist breakage if dropped.
Each artificial eye is custom made and designed to specifically fit your individual eye socket. The ocular prosthetic is hand painted using the patient’s companion eye as a model and guide for matching. Our methods and technique allow us to create a custom prosthetic eye with the best possible cosmetic results.
Insurance
Ocular prosthetics and all the services we provide are medically necessary and in most cases will be covered by your insurance company. However, all patients are ultimately responsible for any unpaid balances. This includes deductibles and co-payment/coinsurance. Also please be aware you may need an authorization for your insurance company to cover the service.
Please remember we will go over any questions you may have at your first appointment.