We are not all mirror images of our right and left sides.
Sometimes a pre-surgical discrepancy becomes accentuated
post surgically due to loss of tissue support. This could call
additional attention to the reconstruction.
Within the field of optical esthetics, lenses can be used to
to in effect distort this physical discrepancy to become
less obvious. In this instance, a prism was used to effectively
elevate the appearance of the right eye relative to the left
eye.
Using a 5x power prism, the relative appearance of the right eye
(prosthetic) is elevated when the eyeglasses are worn with the
prism. The position is still slightly below the plane of the right eye,
but this was found to be acceptable. A 10x (or power or degree?)
prism was able to fully correct the discrepancy but added significant
bulk to the lens which was obviously visible and had the undesired
effect of drawing more attention to the area. With the cooperation
of the optical technologist a lesser correction was possible with the
5x prism. However, the way prisms work, the further they are anteriorly
from the object the more effective they are. To maximize the
benefit, otherwise unnecessary nose pads were added to
the eyeglasses to move them more anteriorly which elevated
the right eye additionally compared to the position using the
built in nose pads.
Because these metal extensions are visible through each of the lenses,
they have the added benefit of serving as a minor distraction. In this
particular situation the combination of the prism and nose pad
extensions have provided a favorable adjunctive result to the ocular
prosthesis.
Carole Lewis, B.C.O.
Esthetic Eyes
Beverly Hills, CA
David Huczneker, A.B.O.C.
Orange Optical Laboratory
Orange, CA
