EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/78710
66 EW IN OTHER NEWS The fine continued from page 65 normally as possible, to center their world around one eye. For example, she works with patients on their body language to compensate for the fact that their false eye doesn't move. "It's how you part your hair, or how you sit, or how you move your May 2012 Index to Advertisers Accutome Page: 49 Phone: 610-889-0200 Fax: 610-889-3233 www.accutome.com Alcon Laboratories Inc. Page: Cover 2, 3, 15, and 16 Phone: 800-862-5266 Fax: 800-241-0677 www.alconlabs.com Allergan Page: 65 and Cover 4 Phone: 714-246-4500 Fax: 714-246-4764 www.allergan.com APAO Page: 61 www.apao.org APACRS Page: 40 www.apacrs.org Avada Audiology and Hearing Care Center Page: 12 Phone: 888-982-8232 www.avada.com Clinical Trial Marketing Page: 14 Phone: 800-931-6190 www.visualclinicaltrials.com Diamatrix Ltd. Page: 47 and 51 Phone: 281-367-8081 Fax: 281-292-5481 www.diamatrix.com ESCRS Page: 53 and 62 www.escrs.org Eagle Laboratories Page: 27 Phone: 909-481-0011 Fax: 909-481-4481 www.eaglelabs.com Eye Care and Cure Page: 64 Phone: 800-486-6169 Fax: 877-321-1267 www.eyecareandcure.com Gulden Ophthalmics Page: 64 Phone: 215-884-8105 Fax: 215-884-0418 www.guldenophthalmics.com Heidelberg Engineering Inc. Page: 7 Phone: 760-598-1102 Fax: 760-536-7100 www.heidelbergengineering.com Innova Medical Optics Page: 37 Phone: 800-461-1200 Fax: 800-313-8696 www.innovamed.com Katena Products Page: 25 Phone: 973-989-1600 Fax: 973-989-8175 www.katena.com LensAR Page: 5 Phone: 954-889-7804 Fax: 407-386-7228 www.lensar.com Medownick Laser Eye Clinic Page: 64 Phone: 800 37 39 37 www.Medownicklasereyesurgery.com.au New World Medical Page: 29 Phone: 909-466-4304 Fax: 909-466-4305 www.ahmedvalve.com New York Eye & Ear Infirmary Page: 30 Phone: 212-614-8269 www.nyee.edu Rhein Medical Inc. Page: 23 Phone: 813-885-5050 Fax: 813-885-9346 www.rheinmedical.com Ziemer Ophthalmic Page: Cover 3 Phone: 618-462-9301 Fax: 618-462-9302 www.ziemergroup.com ASCRS/ASOA Meeting Information 2013 ASCRS Symposium and ASOA Congress Page: 18 EyeWorld Replay Page: 21 ASCRS Winter Update 2013 Page: 10 ASCRS Membership Page: 37, 39, and 41 ASOA Membership Page: 55 body," she said. "I like them to put their bad side forward. If you sit a little bit to the side in the right di- rection, you can sit down and have a conversation and know your head is going to settle into a place that looks natural to the other person." Looking natural and fitting in is extremely important to patients. "This is not a cosmetic proce- dure," said Ms. Spohn-Lillo. "Cos- metics make you look better than normal. I'm making these people look normal. Patients want to blend in, to be another person in the crowd. They want people to listen to what they say and not be distracted by how they look." The hardest part of an ocularist's job is getting the prosthesis to fit correctly, said Mr. Hughes. Patients come in with widely varying situa- tions, and as he said, "you can't build a nice home on a bad founda- tion." Specific challenging cases he recalled included a patient beaten with a baseball bat and facial war in- juries. Collaborating with an ocular plastic surgeon, though, can greatly improve the results of those devas- tating injuries. "Working with physicians is key," said Ms. Spohn-Lillo. "In years past, when we didn't have ocular plastics, an ocularist would have to do creative things that might cause more problems later on. If you don't maintain the integrity and shape of the eye socket, you're going to have An ocularist's tools of the trade Source: Faith A. Hayden problems. I want my patients to know what types of surgery are available to them, should they go that route." Another challenge for an ocular- ist is handling the rollercoaster of emotions many patients have, de- pending where they are in the ad- justment and acceptance process. "You're always going to have someone who is not happy," Ms. Spohn-Lillo said. "Some you'll never please because what they really want is their body back. It's not uncom- mon for patients to look in the mirror and have mixed emotions. They're seeing an eye but they can't see out of it." Despite the challenges that come with the profession, both Ms. Spohn-Lillo and Mr. Hughes love their jobs. "It's the people for me. It's fun," said Mr. Hughes. "Everyone is really interesting, and they all have a path, a journey, a story. They don't see themselves as just wearing an eye, and they hate to be labeled. I've met some outrageous people. It's a weird club." EW Editors' note: The sources mentioned have no financial interests related to this article. Contact information Hughes: eye226@aol.com Spohn-Lillo: spohnlillo@mac.com