Frequently Asked Questions

Your specialist will recommend a time frame that suits your specific condition. However we find it is generally within 4 to 6 weeks post-surgery.

We aim to complete the process within two appointments. However, it may sometimes require an additional appointment to ensure the best fit.

The initial appointment takes approximately one hour.

Your second appointment is when we fit your new eye which will take approximately 45 minutes and you are free to return home and enjoy your new eye.

We would like to see you again within 6 months to give your artificial eye a clean and polish to keep it in the best condition.
We will send you a reminder when this is due.

> Useful information for new clients.

> Take a look at the process here.

Yes, we encourage you to bring a support person. It is not advised to bring small children due to the length of the appointments required.

Your first prosthetic eye fitted after the initial surgery will last approximately 12 months due to changes happening to your eye socket after surgery.

The implant can settle further back into the socket, creating a larger cavity for the prosthesis.  As this may cause your eyelid to start to close down over the prosthesis, a larger eye needs to be fitted.

After this settling period, a new eye is generally required every 3 to 5 years for optimum cosmetic appeal.

You will now have to adapt to monocular vision. This will not only affect your peripheral vision, but also balance and the ability to judge distances accurately. 

It will take time, but with practice and adjusting your expectations, many people return to most activities they enjoyed before the removal of their eye.

This is dependent on how your eye was lost, but we aim for conversational movement. So, as you are talking to someone, your eyes can move from one shoulder to the other shoulder. Your head tends to turn when looking in the direction of your artificial eye, due to vision restriction.

Care at home

Your new artificial eye may be cleaned with mild soap or “hard contact” lens cleaning solution.

This will remove most of the surface accumulations and reduce irritation to the eyelids.

Make certain you rinse it thoroughly before re-inserting. Regular tap water is perfectly acceptable for this.

NOTE: Never clean or soak your artificial eye in alcohol, autoclave or boil it because it will crack the plastic and destroy the ocular prosthesis.

Professional Care

You should have your artificial eye polished every six to twelve months, or more often if a special problem exists.

Excessive discharge, poor eyelid action, or if you do not wish to remove the eye yourself, are all reasons to have the prosthesis regularly checked, cleaned and polished by a professional such as Artificial Eyes.

The cleaning and polishing not only adds to the life of the prosthesis but will remove protein deposits helping to reduce the risk of giant papillary conjunctivitis and other irritants.

It also improves comfort and restores the lustre for a more life-like appearance.

This is the hardest question to answer.  It is very personal and depends on your comfort level, eye discharge and comfort.  It is recommended you remove the prosthesis only when necessary as too much handling can cause socket irritation and result in excessive discharge.  It is recommended that you sleep with your prosthetic eye in place.

You can remove the prosthesis in two ways – with or without a suction cup. A suction cup is provided by Artificial Eyes when your prosthesis is purchased.

Before removing your prosthesis, first wash and rinse your hands thoroughly.

With a suction cup
Open your eyelid with your thumb and forefinger.
Place a moist suction cup on the front of the eye.
Look up, pull down the lower lid, and slide the prosthesis out and downwards over the lower lid, using the suction cup handle.

Without a suction cup
Look up, depress the lower lid with the forefinger and move the finger away from the nose.
The prosthesis will slide out over the lower lid.
Hold the palm of one hand below the eye so you can catch it when it dislodges.
Always remove the eye over carpet as it can slip if dropped onto tiles or into a wash basin.

Our unique process for making artificial eyes allows us to make a thin shell to cover an eye with no vision or is disfigured. We offer a free consultation to clients to see if they can tolerate a shell on their eye.

A scleral/haptic shell is for those who still have their natural eye in place, but it has become disfigured or there is no vision.

A prosthetic eye replaces a natural eye which has been removed.

As a guide, the whole process of creating your prosthetic eye including appointments, measuring, matching and fitting your new prothesis is approximately $2400.

Healthcare and Pension discounts may apply upon application.

To make an appointment, please call 07 3832 1171 or to go our Contact Us page click here.

Payment is due on the day you take your new prosthesis home.

You can choose to pay for your new prosthetic and other services via direct debit, credit card, cash, Afterpay or Zip Pay.

It is highly recommended you return to us every six months to have your artificial eye polished to keep it in tip top condition, this service costs $70 and takes about 30 mins.

To make your professional eye polishing appointment, please call 07 3832 1171 or to go our Contact Us page click here.

While you can clean your eye at home, protein can work its way into the porous acrylic and cause irritation or infection such as giant papillary conjunctivitis.

Regular professional polishing will also extend the life of your eye and restore the natural, life-like appearance.