Are children fit with ocular prostheses?
Infants who suffer from an abnormally formed eye or who must have an eye removed at an early age, the prosthetic procedures varies from that of adults. A small child’s socket changes rapidly as he grows and the prosthetic eye generally must be enlarged every few months. This is necessary to stimulate the socket tissues and boney orbit to grow at a normal rate. In the case of a congenitally small eye orbit, (Microphthalmia) the socket and lid opening is actually smaller than the companion eye. Because of this difference a series of conformers are necessary to stretch the tissues and form a socket into which a prosthetic eye can later be fit. The conformer is usually enlarged once a month or as necessary to increase orbital volume as circumstances allow. Most conformers are made of clear plastic, but if the socket size has adequate volume an actual prosthesis can be made to match the companion eye. The latter is especially helpful for the child’s appearance and self-image. It is importan
