Ocularist Carole Lewis – Artificial Prosthetic Eyes
Our history of innovation in creating artificial prosthetic eyes dates back over a half-century. During World War II, Germany cut off the supply of glass artificial eyes. The United States Army Medical Corps responded by instituting a program to develop and deliver plastic prosthetic eyes to servicemen. Frederick Lewis was chosen to be part of that program.
The resulting research and development proved that new acrylic materials could replace the old glass eye technology. The acrylics lend themselves to more precise fitting because they can be molded from detailed impressions. In addition, properly detailed acrylic artificial eyes look more realistic, last longer, and are more comfortable due in part to their lighter weight.
Today the family continues the art of realistic artificial eye making. Together they persist in challenging the industry to ever-higher standards. They are committed to innovation, resourcefulness, and excellence in delivering realistic looking artificial eyes and cosmetic contact lenses.
CAROLE LEWIS, Board Certified Ocularist, Former Board Certified Anaplastologist — has over 25 years of clinical experience in Southern California. She is a nationally certified Physician Assistant, achieving this registration in the first examination administered by Yale University. Since 1984, she has been successfully fitting and fabricating complex prosthetic eyes to bring forth the best possible solution for each unique eye socket. She is recognized internationally for her successes with artificial eyes for highly complex, congenitally undeveloped eye sockets in infants.
Her ongoing affiliation with both the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute and USC Doheny Eye Institute is helping to expand techniques that capture the most natural artificial eye and socket motion. Carole Lewis' proven lid and socket therapy is a non-surgical approach to capture and augment motion. Surgically, we are helping expand techniques that utilize state-of-the-art hydroxyapatite and other high motility implants to enhance motion of artificial eyes in severely damaged eye sockets. In addition, she is a member of the Cedars- Sinai Craniofacial Team for infants born with undeveloped eyes, and participates on the National Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study with the Jules Stein Eye Institute, Doheny Eye Institute, and Kaiser Permanente. She is a member of the American Society of Ocularists, and received the Legrand Lecture Honorarium, bestowed annually, during the joint Oculoplastic-Ocularist Medical Conference.
"I attribute the success of our practice to my father's insight, creativity, integrity, and dedication. It is with great pride that I strive to continue in his footsteps. He taught me how to achieve consistently high-quality, detailed, and natural looking prosthetic artificial eyes and facial restorations — and that the effort to bring forth superb results does not come easily — but those who can recognize and overcome obstacles are those who are going to succeed. I am enthusiastic about adding our third generation which merges our established techniques and our ever evolving digital technology. Prospects for still further advancements are most exciting."
FREDERICK LEWIS, Board Certified Ocularist — one of the original developers of modern-day plastic artificial eyes. He established and was Chief of the Plastic Eye and Restoration Clinic at the United States Veterans' Administration in Los Angeles.
He has developed fundamental technology for fitting and fabricating complex artificial prosthetic eyes and is renowned for his achievements with facial prosthetics. He has authored numerous papers on the subject of prosthetics for complex eye sockets and facial disfigurements. His pioneering work is recognized worldwide. He was a Charter Member and President of the American Society of Ocularists, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the National Examining Board of Ocularists.
The World Wide Web contains a vast amount of information pertaining to artificial eyes as part of the comprehensive discussion and treatment of all forms of eye health conditions and their treatments. Web Sites of key organizations with which we are affiliated in the U.S. are listed here. Persons wanting to learn as much as possible about current practice and state-of-the-art treatments for various eye problems are highly encouraged to visit the following sites. An invaluable perspective can thus be obtained to help formulate an individual's best steps regarding an artificial eye or cosmetic eye for their own condition or the condition of a loved one.
