Authors (including presenting author) :
Chow HY(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Prosthetic and Orthotic, Tuen Mun Hospital
Introduction :
The first Ophthalmic prosthesis service in Hong Kong was launched by The Prosthetics and Orthotics Department (P&O) of Kowloon Hospital in 1998. This service includes ophthalmic prostheses and maxillofacial silicone prostheses. From 1998 to 2018, Kowloon Hospital had to handle patients from all seven clusters. Patients from the New Territories West Cluster(NTWC) have to travel for long distances to Kowloon to receive the service.
Objectives :
Our objective is to develop ophthalmic prosthesis services in the NTWC, allowing patients from our cluster to access treatment locally. By combining existing techniques and advanced technology, we aim to simplify the process of fabricating ophthalmic prosthesis and further enhance current service standards.
Methodology :
The P&O Department of Tuen Mun Hospital collaborated with Tuen Mun Eye Centre for the development of ophthalmic prosthesis service in 2018. During this period, P&O colleagues from NTWC are supported by cluster to learn the process of fabricating ophthalmic prostheses in a specialist clinic located in the United Kingdom and began preparing the resources needed for the new service. The ophthalmic prosthesis service was officially launched at the end of 2018. As the process of fabricating silicone skin is highly complex and requires sculpting techniques as well as artistic sense, we utilized new equipment to scan the patients and digitally replicate missing parts via 3D printing to produce molds, assisting the sculpting process. Additionally, to simulate patients' skin tones during silicone skin fabrication, we introduced a spectro-colorimeter to help measure and record patients' skin colors, and calculate pigment formulations, avoiding deviations and reducing time spent on manual color mixing.
Result & Outcome :
1) Accessibility: Over the past five years, we have successfully provided ophthalmic prosthesis services to over 65 patients, allowing patients of the NTWC to receive the services locally. 2) Effectiveness: 3D printing technologies has reduced difficulty in fabrication while aiding less experienced colleagues to learn and master the silicone fabrication skills. 3) Efficiency: By using spectro-colorimeter measurement, the time required for color matching has been reduced from 60 minutes to 10 minutes.
