Treatment
You need the following to obtain treatment:
- An appointment by telephone
- Approximately 2 hours of your time
- In case the treatment is covered by a German health insurance you need a valid prescription (issued by an ophthalmologist) and 10 Euro surcharge (not charged for minors or if a valid dispensation certificate is shown).
The fitting of an artificial eye does not cause any pain and takes around one to two hours. Costs are paid in cash, by the health insurance or the applicable professional association.
The first time
The first artificial eye should be fitted around 10 to 14 days after the operation so that the empty eye socket does not shrink. The attending ocularist will carefully insert a model eye first to obtain a custom-fit template. Using this model, he will create an individual ocular prosthesis with the right shape and colour for you, then insert it. You can take your new prosthesis with you immediately, following comprehensive advice regarding correct handling and care.
Further treatment
As the eye socket swelling usually decreases in the first two or three months after the operation, a new custom-fit artificial eye is required after this period. To protect your eye socket, the prosthesis should be replaced annually.