title: Prosthetic conformers: a step towards improved rehabilitation of enucleated children.
abstract: Enucleation in children is distressing for families, particularly because of concerns of cosmesis. In the last 2 years the authors have used painted conformers instead of clear conformers to make the postoperative healing and rehabilitation period easier on the families. A set of six prosthetic conformers (small, medium and large; blue and brown) was available in the operating room. An appropriately sized and colour-matched conformer was placed in the socket at the end of surgery and kept for an average of 4-6 weeks. This decreased the psychological impact of enucleation, yet achieved the goals of an ideal conformer allowing optimal wound healing without pressure to fit a permanent individualized prosthesis earlier than 6 weeks after surgery. The acceptance of families to prosthetic conformers in this paediatric population has been very positive, improving rehabilitation of the family and the enucleated child.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Michael C F
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Gallie
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Héon
mesh_terms: D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020273:Orbital Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology