Outcomes of cosmetic scleral shells in visually impaired patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Outcomes of cosmetic scleral shells in visually impaired patients
IRAS ID
221956
Contact name
Raman Malhotra
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 23 days
Research summary
A cosmetic scleral shell is an artificial device similar to a contact lens fitted over the surface of a residual blind disfigured eyeball to disguise eyes which have developed an unacceptable appearance. A cosmetic scleral shell fitted over a blind eye spares the patient from undergoing surgery to remove the eyeball, thus avoiding potential surgical complications and psychological trauma.
This study is being undertaken at Queen Victoria Hospital and has been set up to collect information on all patients who have been offered or fitted with a cosmetic scleral shell. Following a review of our existing data base within the prosthetic department at Queen Victoria Hospital, all patients who have been offered or are currently wearing a cosmetic scleral shell will be asked if they would like to take part in a telephone questionnaire which is expected to last 15 minutes to obtain feedback and assess patient comfort, satisfaction with regards to appearance as well any problems/complications experienced. We will also collect clinical and surgical data from patient notes including the cause of visual loss; clinical findings and any surgical interventions that were performed to optimize scleral shell tolerance.
We will use this information to review our current practice and to help us identify patients who are most likely to benefit from a cosmetic shell. Ultimately this will lead to an improvement in the quality of service provided to our patients whilst increasing our knowledge about the effectiveness and outcomes of cosmetic scleral shells.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0226
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion