Change and Movement

When our bodies change in some way, due to injury or disease, we are understandably concerned about how our lives may be affected. This is especially true of changes that involve some part of the face, such as the eyes.

Until 1989, those facing the loss of an eye had little hope of recovering the natural movement. Many of us know someone who has an artificial eye, which lacks the movement the eye once had, hindering a natural appearance.

Today, thanks to the remarkable advances in the development of the Bio-eye Orbital Implant, the loss of an eye no longer means the loss of a natural appearance.

Many thousands of people have already benefited from a medical breakthrough that can create a more natural-looking artificial eye. In fact, you may have met one of these people, unaware that the person had an artificial eye.

Orbital Implants and Artificial Eyes

When an eye is removed, an orbital implant is used to replace the volume in the orbit (bony cavity surrounding the eye) that was occupied by the eye. This small, spherical implant maintains the natural structure of the orbit and provides support for the artificial eye. The implant itself is not visible.

An artificial eye, or orbital prosthesis, is the item that is seen by other people and is used to restore the natural appearance of the eye and surrounding tissues. It is the visible part of the surgical changes to the socket (the space behind the eyelids in which the artificial eye rests). Artificial eyes are usually made of plastic (acrylic) or glass. Custom artificial eyes are handcrafted by highly skilled ocularists (eye makers) to precisely match the look of the natural eye.

While artificial eyes have been made for thousands of years, the first orbital implant was developed only about 100 years ago. These small spheres of glass or gold were later replaced by plastic or silicone spheres. The basic design of these first-generation orbital implants changed little over the years until the development of the Bio-eye Orbital Implant in 1985.

  
The Need For a Better Implant...