Eye Concern
Precision and 'Concern' for an Optimal Prosthetic Eye

Seeing his younger sister Julie fight the emotional toll of an ill-fitting prosthetic eye was heartbreaking for John Hadlock. Julie had become increasingly self-conscious. Whenever his sister saw someone looking at her, she would cover her left eye and duck her head. She did not want anyone, even family members, to see her prosthetic eye. This emotional response was indicative of her everyday reality wherever she went. This inspired John to create ocular prostheses that would be aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, and precisely matched to the patient’s companion eye.

He realized this dream with his company Eye Concern, which provides specialized ocular prosthetic services, including custom artificial eyes, scleral shells, and prosthetic refitting. Led by John, a team of expert ocularists utilizes cutting-edge techniques to create custom-made prostheses that seamlessly match a patient's natural eye in color and comfort, ensuring both functionality and realism.

“We empathize with our patients and what they have been through in the process of losing one or both of their eyes. We care enough to work through a time-consuming process to create an ocular prosthesis - an exceptional result," says Starla Hadlock-Allen, Diplomate Ocularist.

Eye Concern uses the 'Modified Impression Method' for creating artificial eyes. For a proper acrylic eye fitting, healing of up to six to eight weeks after surgery is necessary.

The process begins with a comfortable alginate impression of the eye socket, with which a mold is created for a custom-designed prosthesis that enhances comfort and motility and reduces the need for frequent removal or irritation management. Then, molten wax is poured into the mold and cooled, creating a pattern that can be adjusted for appearance and comfort. This pattern aids in aligning gaze direction, prominence, eyelid opening, and motility.

The fitting itself can last for hours, with adjustments occurring about every ten to twenty minutes. Once the wax pattern is finalized, a new mold is created, after which white acrylic is processed under heat and pressure in the new mold. The anterior surface of the white acrylic shape is then prepared for coloring and veining, matching the pattern and appearance of the companion eye. This process can be time-consuming, taking up to two to three hours to color match the companion eye. After processing, the finished and polished prosthesis is evaluated, and necessary changes are made to meet quality standards.

In some cases, Eye Concern has a few patients whose eyelids do not open and close fully, resulting in an irregular wide-open and starry look. To counter this, the ocularists simulate the eyelids by coloring them directly onto the surface of the prosthesis. This technique creates the illusion of the patient having 'normal' eyelids and is much more aesthetically pleasing. In other cases, some patients have upper eyelids that droop and cannot be lifted in any normal anatomical fashion. To address this, Eye Concern creates a clear, ‘invisible’ plastic 'shelf' upon which the upper lid rests in its normal position, giving the appearance of a normal eyelid.

Unfortunately, not all insurance plans are contracted with Eye Concern or pay for prosthetics, even though patients expect their medical insurers to cover it. Medical insurance companies list prostheses under the category of Durable Medical Equipment, and coverage varies greatly. Eye Concern supports patients in this regard by helping them get started with the reimbursement process if they have prosthetic benefits. For example, if Eye Concern is not contracted with the patient's insurance company, it guides the patient through the complex process of receiving any benefits they may be due, whether in or out of network. When contracted with the insurance company, it deals directly with the insurance, leaving the patient worry-free.

Eye Concern understands the physical, emotional, and financial difficulties of vision loss and creates ocular prosthetics that fit right into a patient's life, restoring both wholeness and well-being. It understands the patient's anxiety about getting an eye that matches and creates one that ensures both comfort and aesthetic satisfaction.