The Anophthalmic Patient

Abstract

The biosocial and psychological aspects of eye loss are explored in this chapter in order to better understand the extent of the anophthalmic population globally and what it is like for people who lose an eye and wear an ocular prosthesis. The chapter discusses the epidemiology of eye loss, the perceptual changes that confront people who suddenly lose binocular vision and the psychosocial issues that accompany eye loss – including the special issues that children face when they lose an eye. The concerns of patients who wear prosthetic eyes are discussed in the chapter, and several individual case studies are included to provide personal perspectives about eye loss. Blind people who wear two prosthetic eyes are not dealt with specifically in the chapter, but many of the issues discussed are relevant to them.