She was happy with the look of the eye but unhappy about the constant discharge she has been experiencing.

She told us that she felt the prosthesis was comfortable and her specialist said there was no infection.  Why then was the discharge continuing?

I thought it might be worth setting out the types of questions I would want to explore in this sort of circumstance.

When did you have the eye removed?
Sometimes it can take a few months for everything to settle into place. Especially if you had a derma fat implant. They are a fantastic implant once settled but it does take a long time before the discharge stops.

Is it possible that the eye prosthesis is too small?.
When an eye prosthesis is made from an impression of the eye socket, all the spaces are filled nicely so that the tears evaporate the same as your other eye. If the prosthesis is too small, the tears pool into the spaces in the eye socket, turn milky then come out as a gloop when you blink.

Does the eye close properly?
If it is only in the mornings that there is muck then it could be that the eyelids are not closing properly over night. Get a friend to check if the eyelids close when your eyes are closed softly.

Do you find that you suffer a bit of dryness during the day as well?
This could indicate that the prosthesis is a little too large and by having it hollowed a touch it may help too alleviate both problems.

Is there any pressure points or tenderness in the eye socket? Or a spot which feels a bit itchy?
Sometimes when an eye prosthesis is not polished properly it can cause a discharge. The scratch or a sharp edge on the prosthesis can irritate the tissue which makes the eye socket produce extra tears to flush out the problem.

Who made your eye prosthesis?
A well made professionally fitted prosthesis will cause very few problems. It is worth hunting down a reputable and experienced ocularist. Click here for O.A.A. Member List.