When we think of a prosthesis, we usually think of a prosthetic limb or maybe even a heart or organ; however, prosthetics can be made for any part of a body, even the eyes. The use of a prosthetic lens for one or both eyes has much the same basis as the use for a prosthetic in any other part of the body – the body part has a disfigurement or abnormality that can be modified or corrected with the use of a prosthetic.
The condition may be congenital; i.e., a defect present at birth, such as the absence of pigmentation in the iris. This condition doesn’t just result in sensitivity to light – it can be startling to others and create embarrassment for the individual who has this condition.
Lenses may also be used to correct or mask disfiguring eye injuries caused by accidents, to give a patient a more normal-looking appearance.
This lens is not the same as a glass eye; it fits over the eye just like any type of contact lens. These lenses also usually require the same type of maintenance as regular contact lenses and they feel just the same to the person wearing them.
Sometimes prosthetic contact lenses will be used to make an eye that has crossed appear to be in alignment. When the lens is inserted, it makes the colored part of the eye appear in the normal position of the white area instead of over towards the corner. Prosthetic lenses can hide such inconsistencies which can make the eyes look less awkward and gives the affected person a much higher level of self-confidence. It should be noted that this does not actually correct the defect – it only corrects the appearance of the defect.
Unlike traditional contact lenses these prosthesis’s are not necessarily used to correct a problem with vision but they can also be made to double for this task as well. Usually, however they are just cosmetic. Like prosthetics for any other part of the body, prosthetic lenses are custom made for the individual. For example, for a person with no pigmentation in the iris, the iris color would be hand-painted directly onto contact lenses. As a result, these lenses are not disposable; it would be horrendously expensive to have customized disposable contact lenses.
Although there are costume contact lenses available over-the-counter, prosthetic contact lenses (which serve a completely different purpose) must be custom-ordered from someone who specializes in fashioning these types of contacts and following the referral from a medical doctor who specializes in eyes (ophthalmologist).
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