An Intraocular Prosthesis is used to relieve discomfort in an eye that is irreversibly blind. Glaucoma is the most common condition which is treated in this way. The surgery involves an incision in the eye though which the inner contents of the eye (lens, retina, iris, ciliary body) are removed. A prosthetic ball is then implanted into the eye to maintain it’s shape. Once healing is complete, the eye looks nearly normal. The eye blinks and moves in coordination with the other eye. It is important to recognize that the outer layers of the eye are still living tissue and, thus, subject to injury or infection although this is rarely a problem.
An alternative to a prosthesis is enucleation (removing the entire eye).
Meet “Dylan” who had prostheses implanted into both eyes..
Dylan is a Jack Russell terrier affected with glaucoma in both eyes. Unfortunately, the glaucoma resulted in irreversible blindness and discomfort. Intraocular prostheses were implanted to relieve the pressure and discomfort while retaining a nearly normal appearance to the eyes. Dylan’s “Mom”; reports: “Dylan feels better and has totally adjusted to being sightless. He no longer has the pain of eye pressure and does not have to have expensive drops three times a day.”
