Rehabilitation of an Orbital Defect with Silicone Orbital Prosthesis: A Case Report

Introduction: Loss of eye, apart from impaired vision has a detrimental effect on psychosocial wellbeing of an individual. The replacement of the lost eye as soon as possible after the surgery is necessary to improve social acceptance and quality of life. Multidisciplinary management and team approach between surgeon and prosthodontist are essential in providing accurate and effective rehabilitation and follow-up care for the patient. Case report: This case report describes a simplified method for the fabrication of a custom silicone orbital prosthesis retained with spectacles for rehabilitation of a residual defect post exenteration of left eye. It highlights the importance of indepth analysis & comparison of the defect with the normal contralateral eye which was used as an anatomical guide for fabrication of an aesthetic prosthesis. Conclusion: Advanced digital technology like rapid prototyping and CAD/CAM have made fabrication of complex prosthesis like orbital prosthesis simpler and quicker. However, these contemporary methods are technique sensitive, equipment dependent and may not be available easily. Thus, a maxillofacial prosthodontist should be able to read the available anatomical guides and use them to fabricate an aesthetically acceptable prosthesis using conventional technique to rehabilitate patients and improving quality of life as soon as possible.