Ghana marks World Ocular Prosthesis Day

The Ocular Prosthesis Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) on Wednesday marked the World Ocular Prosthesis Day with a public lecture, open clinic and documentary of the unit at the hospital in Accra.

Ocular prosthesis is an artificial eye used to replaces an absent natural eye following an injury or surgical removal or an eye which has become (pathysical or small eye) due to an infection or cancer.

Ocular prosthesis is not a permanent replacement and can be remove and fixed at any time by the patients does not require any surgery.

Dr Ambrose Pare was the first Ocularist who fabricated the first prosthesis in the year 1510 with a piece of silver to fit in an eye socket.

The first ever celebration was marked under the theme: “Loss of an eye, no longer means loss of natural beauty.”

Madam Evelyn Kyereh, an Ocularist at the KBTH, said the artificial eyes were made up of a white acrylic and takes two to three days to go through the process of manufacturing custom fit ocular prosthesis.

She said in Ghana, ocular prosthesis unit was established in September 2013 by Dr Mark Alford, Texas Hospital in the USA and Edith Dogbe, at the KBTH, both oculoplastic surgeons and was done by an ophthalmic nurse only at the KBTH.

She said the ocular prosthesis unit of the KBTH was fully equipped with ultramodern facilities and that the eyes were manufactured at the KBTH.

“Patients who have ocular prosthesis come to the hospital every six months for review,” she said.

“An average of about 2 to 4 patience visits the centre every week and about 133 patients have so far fixed their custom-fit ocular prosthesis since the establishment of the unit in 2013 at the KBTH.”

Madam Kyereh said the custom made or artificial eye offers far more benefits than the already made eye since the artificial fits well into the socket and the patient find it very comfortable more so there is virtually no discharge as it sits snug in the socket and moves with natural acceptance.

“Since they are hand painted to the other eye, they look natural enhancing the appearance of a person, giving a boost to their confidence and self-esteem.”

Touching on the results of the unit, the Ocularist said, patients have a positive perception about their custom fit ocular prosthesis and that about 96 per cent of them perceive that it fits well into their eye socket, was comfortable, and concealed the defects, made them confident and increase their self-esteem.

She said the cost of an ocular prosthesis was currently pegged at GH¢800.00 and many accept that comparable to others, this was moderate. Madam Kyereh said there was the need to set ocular prosthesis training centers to train more ocularists with local touch and roll out the services of the ocular prosthesis nationwide since there was a high level of acceptance for custom fit ocular prosthesis among patients.

She said there is the need for more education and sensitization nationwide in order for people to know more about the unit.