Fabrication of custom made eye prosthesis for anophthalmic paediatric patients: 2 case reports

Abstract

The loss of an eye is an emotional and psychological setback to the patient. After enucleation, evisceration or exenteration of the eye, the goal is to replace the missing tissues with an artificial prosthesis and restore the facial symmetry and normal appearance of the anophthalmic patient. In case of pediatric patients, the team approach of the ophthalmologist, the maxillofacial prosthodontist and pedodontist are required to rehabilitate the ocular defect, that improves not only the patient's comfort and cosmesis as well as maintain the near symmetrical bony orbital wall and eyelid development. This article illustrates two different cases of pediatric patients where the eye was surgically removed and ocular prosthesis was fabricated.Clinical Relevance to Interdisciplinary Dentistry A few case reports are mentioned in literature for prosthetic rehabilitation of anophthalmic pediatric patients. The presented case reports stressed the use of custom made eye prosthesis than prefabricated one for pediatric patients. As patient grows, the size of eye socket changes, hence periodic enlargement of the prosthesis is necessary for a growing child to aid in the normal development of the lids and the soft tissue lining the orbital bone. The custom made prosthesis can be adjusted whether needed at recall visits. The presented technique is simple and less time consuming. This technique is least depended upon artistic ability of dentist.