Over the past three years we’ve been developing a conformer shell which is superior to the previously available products. Conformer shells have traditionally been produced by plastics manufacturers, not ocularists. All too often the edges of the shells have an abrasive edge that makes them very uncomfortable in the eye socket and hinder the healing process. Our conformers were created to provide a surgical standard product for opthalmologists.

All of our conformer shells are sterilized with Ethylene Oxide Gas sterilization. This is the FDA approved method used to sterilize PMMA Intra ocular lenses. Single use only.

Conformer shells come in small (22mm x 20mm), medium (25mm x 21mm) and large (27mm x 23mm). Left and right.
When re-ordering sets of six they can be customized to replace your stock as required.

PRICE LIST:
Individual Conformer Shell: $50AUD
Conformer Shell Pair: $100AUD
Set of 6 Conformer Shells: $250AUD

-All prices include tax.
-Domestic and International shipping fees are subject to verification once order is placed.
-All conformer shells come in sterilized packaging.

To place an order please send us an email through our contact page. 

"At the Ocularist" by Fred Harwin

Please click on the picture to bring up a printer friendly pdf version of this 13 page booklet.

 This book is also helpful for family and friends who can sympathise but not really understand what it is like to live with monocular vision.

You won’t find his book in book shops or on the internet. Terry self publishes his book and he is not easy to get in touch with. We use a complicated system of smoke signals and carrier pigeons to contact him. If you would like to order a book please contact me through the contact link below and we will arrange for him to send you a copy of his book.

In Australia he charges $15 which includes postage. For anyone out of Australia it will cost a bit more for postage. I recommend this book to all my clients and is well worth a look.

Contact us Here

The article is titled Implications of Acquired Monocular Vision (loss of one eye)

The article makes interesting reading for people who are adjusting to monocular vision. It also helps to educate others about the challenges for people with monocular vision.

I find the information beneficial when preparing  medical reports for people pursuing legal compensation for personal injury insurance claims.

The article includes literature, occupational concerns, safety and eye protection, driving, activities of daily living, future risk, hobbies, loss and impairment, cosmetic issues and rehabilitation.

You can read this article on the NORA web site Here

You can also see Dr Politzer’s own website Here

Thomas Politzer, O.D., FCOVD, F.A.A.O.

The Members of the Ocularists Association of Australia invite International ocularists and their partners to Sydney to attend a Lecture/Dinner and Harbour cruise.

The Ocularists Association of Australia was founded on the 20th October 2001 as a way to ensure a high standard of patient care and service for artificial eye recipients in Australia.
 
We look forward to an evening of professional enhancement and social interaction, great Aussie hospitality/ food and wine! – not to mention the opportunity to showcase, one of world’s and Australia’s most recognised and picturesque locations. 

For more information please click Here

I was fortunate to come across a new site which has been put together by Dave who will share information and answer any questions you may have based on his 40+ years of monocular vision and having worn over 10 different prosthetic eyes.

Monocular Society is a site that is dedicated to individuals living with sight in only one eye or someone living with a prosthetic (artificial) eye. These conditions can result in many physical and emotional challenges. I recommend you have a look at his site which you can find here.

I would define a “primary artificial eye” as the artificial eye fitted post operatively when someone has had an eye removed.

At the recent Ocularists Association of Australia meeting the issue of item numbers for health insurance companies was debated. To keep things simple we want to define the products and services we provide with the minimum number of item numbers.

Proposed Item Numbers

1) Ocular Prosthesis                

2) Primary Ocular Prosthesis

3) Haptic/Scleral Lens          

4) Modification  / build up to eye prosthesis      

5) Review and Polish                                                       

6) Consultation                                                                   

Item 2: (the primary ocular prosthesis) was the subject of much debate.

When someone loses an eye it is a time of emotional turmoil. It is a period of adjustment and adaption. In Western Australia we encourage clients to visit us prior to having the operation so we can help people understand the journey ahead.

 We have prepared a mind map which illustrates the various aspects of eye loss such as the operation, dealing with the emotional aspects , monocular vision and support groups. By using the mind map while we explain the various aspects of eye loss.  People can take a copy of the mind map with them and use it as a reference to remind them of all the information we share on the first visit. The information is also available on this website.

 On this first visit we will also make up an eye prosthesis which is fitted at the end of the operation. This could be defined as an aesthetic conformer shell. It is fitted as part of the surgery to hold the shape of the eye socket while it heals. Also by having the prosthesis fitted at the time of the surgery the patient and their family are not confronted by the sight of an empty eye socket or transparent conformer shell which has been the practice in the past.

About one week after the operation the pressure bandage comes off and the patient gets to see the eye prosthesis in situ for the first time. We invite clients to visit us after their ophthalmologists’ appointment so we are able to make small adjustments to the shell for the purpose of alignment. We see the client again after one week for adjustments as the socket swelling subsides.

The final prosthesis is not made until eight weeks after the operation once the residual swelling subsides. Once the prosthesis if fitted there is a follow up visit after one week to see how it is settling in.

This process including the Pre-op talk, the manufacturing and supply of the aesthetic conformer, the adjustments to the aesthetic conformer, the five or so visits to custom make and fit eye prosthesis and any adjustments to the artificial eye are all included in the one item number and are covered under the one invoice as a “primary ocular prosthesis.”

Under the current health insurance system an artificial eye is covered as an ancillary benefit. It is my hope that in the future the health insurance companies will recognise that a primary eye prosthesis is an integral part of the operation and it should be covered under the hospital table as part of the operation. This is a vulnerable time for most people who go through enucleation. There is a period of time were the patient is unable to work and it is often a financially difficult period.

People do not choose to have an eye removed for cosmetic reasons. People may lose an eye as a result of trauma or disease and is only done as a last resort.

Under the hospital table it would be covered as a part of the operation and would attract a more reasonable rebate.

I would suggest that a primary prosthesis is so much more than a product and should be recognised as a complete service. If someone has an eye removed through the public health system in Australia, the cost of the artificial eye is covered by the Government as it is recognised as an integral part of the operation and recovery. It is my hope that private health insurance companies follow suit.

At the meeting we discussed the development of a universal item number for artificial eyes. With the current system in Australia artificial eyes are covered by most health insurance companies as an ancillary benefit. This is similar to dental and optical claims.

The issue that causes confusion and makes it hard to make a claim is the multitude of loosely defined item numbers for artificial eyes.

With Medibank private the item number for a new eye prosthesis is EP 13 and is covered under some policies but not all with their super extras policies.

HBF use the number A802 under ancillary benefits

HIF uses item number F-A0244

Many of the smaller insurance companies there is no item number at all and payments are made add hock as ex-gratia payments.

Because there are no clearly defined item numbers the insurance companies create their own policies which results with artificial eyes being bunched in with insurance sub categories such as External prostheses. The system is so confusing that the insurance front desk staff are often unable to calculate benefits and claims need to be sent in the head office to sort out the mess.  

The Ocularists Association of Australia is implementing a set of item numbers that we hope will be adopted by all the insurance companies with clear definitions for all items. We are working with the Australian Health Insurance Association (AHIA) to adopt a set of numbers that are suitable for them.

The new item numbers will not affect the rebates people are receiving at the moment but hopefully this will provide some clarity and uniformity across health insurers. With the universal item numbers, when you talk with your insurance company or wish to compare health insurers everyone will be talking about the same thing.

Conformer shells are now available for purchase please click here

It is my dream of mine to produce high quality conformer shells. A few years ago I set out to make it happen.  This project is described here in a recent interview I did for university study into innovation.

The study investigates how people have found ways to express their values and ethical commitments through developing innovative business initiatives.

Jenny and I thought you would be interested in hearing about the project so here it is.

My name is Paul Geelen and I am an ocularist. My sister Jenny and I manage and operate a small business called “ Artificial Eye Services”. We custom manufacture and fit artificial eyes.

This is a family business. My mother founded it in 1981 and I started my traineeship with her in 1989.

The work we do is personally satisfying as we feel we are making a beneficial difference in people’s self image and confidence. It gives me great pleasure to fit an eye and watch the reaction when people look at themselves with their prosthesis for the first time.

Q Why did you get involved in starting this venture?

I have initiated a small business venture to manufacture components for artificial eyes in the Philippines. In our clinic in Perth we found that the conformer shells fitted in the eye socket after eye removal surgery were of a very poor standard.

The flaws in the conformer shells were causing discomfort in the eye socket with excessive discharge and extended healing time. We decided to create a new conformer shell which is polished to a clinical standard. This is a labour intensive process which requires time and patience and care but does not require a lot of training.

(To get a better understanding of the operation and the purpose of the conformer shell please have a look at the page “The Operation”)

Q What values were fundamental to this project being started?

My inspiration for this venture was my wife Luz who is from the Philippines. Luz is supporting her family in Manilla and has become the main provider for her family there. I started this project to provide meaningful employment for her family and provide a sustainable income source.

Q What other reasons were important for you in setting out on this project?

My objective was to create a sustainable, financially self supporting venture which would provide employment for people in the Philippines while producing a world class product which would assist ophthalmologists to achieve a better outcome with enucleation surgery.

The long term goal of this venture is to train the people in the Philippines to manufacture and fit artificial eyes in a clinic in the Philippines. The manufacture of the conformer shells provides experience for much of the process of making an eye prosthesis such as polishing an eye and casting moulds.

Q What negative responses did you encounter?

People have been mostly supportive. The real challenges I had were language and distance problems. In order to communicate with staff in the Philippines I had to explain things to my wife who would pass the information on to them. My wife is very much involved in the day to day drama of family life in the Philippines and much of what I was trying to communicate was lost in translation.

Q What reservations did you have about the project?

My main reservation about setting up the venture was mixing family and business. The people I am working with are laid back, easy to get along with people. In order for this venture to work they would have to change their mindset. It was a big job to achieve the professional standard that was required.

Q What did you say to overcome problems?

The problems were overcome with time and patience. There were many conversations about quotas and quality. While the process took a lot longer than anticipated there was no urgency to start distribution and we were able to wait until the conformer shells were being produced at a professional standard.

Q Can you give me a general example of the conversations we had with people who were opposed?

There were no opposition to the project as such. There were challenges along the way.

One of the problems I have is time management. I do most of the training while I am in the Philippines on vacation. A conversation I have had with my father is why I don’t take a proper vacation and enjoy my time off as I work hard during the year and should have a proper holiday.

My response to this is if you have ever spent time in the Philippines you can see that the problems there are just too big to fix. If I can do something to improve the lives of just a few people then it is worthwhile. It would be hard to just enjoy the holiday when so many people are finding it so hard to exist day to day.

Q Did you debate the issues with yourself? How did these self-debates tend to run?

I regularly debate the issues and challenges of this project with myself. I am probably my own biggest critic. Now that I have started on this venture I have four staff and their families dependant on the income they derive from the business. The venture is not self supporting and I am tied by family responsibility to retain their employment.

Q How did you find the courage to respond, to keep on going with your plans?

My motivation to continue with the venture is my belief that the business model is sound and the social benefits are proven. I have also gone past the point of no return and this venture has to work in order to maintain the benefits it is providing.

Q What skills were important in overcoming negative views?

Patience and optimism are beneficial to overcome negative views. Good communication is also required. The work they are doing in the Philippines is repetitive and uninspiring. It would be easy to become complacent especially considering it is unsupervised work. It is important for the staff to recognize why the work they are doing is important. I will often see clients in the Philippines. Many of these are charity cases. This is to show the staff the end product and to remind them how important their work is.

Q What was the most important source of support for you in all this?

My most important source of support for this venture is my sister and business partner Jenny. We have invested tens of thousands of dollars into this venture through our business with no prospect of any financial return in the near future. She has also allowed me to invest my time in the venture by looking after the business in Perth in my absence.

Q What have you learned from this experience?

The venture is evolving and I am learning from it every day. I have learned that to take a vision and turn it into a reality is a lot of hard work. You need to communicate the concept to people and make it real in their minds. When I started employing and training staff I do not believe they were confident that they had job security or that the venture would work. They now have pride in their work and job satisfaction. This took more than a year to create this belief in them.

Q What has been the outcome of this experience for you, the organization and others?

I am looking forward to the day the venture becomes self sustaining. It has not achieved the outcomes I am looking for yet but I am quietly confident it will happen soon.

For clients who were suffering with poor quality conformer shells unfortunately we have not got to the stage of distribution yet and clients are still suffering with all the problems that led us off on this venture in the first place.

For the staff in the Philippines this venture has already provided them with financial independence and given them a job that they can have pride in. They still have much to learn and with that education they will move closer to a rewarding career.

A visitor comes to see you.  She is a little girl who has lost an eye.  You never get to see her face but you don’t ever forget her words and how they comforted you and your mother.

I’ve just published a new story Live The Dream by Tony Armenti.  In it Tony sends a message of thanks to that little girl Francis Isaia.

At the end of Tony’s story we have included I’ve Been Proposed To Five Times which is Francis telling her own story of how things worked out for her.

Both stories give important perspective on the trauma of eye loss.  At the time it is pretty tough going but things do get better.  Much better.