Prosthetic eye industry scrutinised after patient complaints

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Losing an eye is a traumatic experience and for many, the process of being fitted with an artificial eye is an important part of the healing process. But the ABC has spoken to a number of people who've had a disappointing experience with one operator who makes prosthetic eyes, Jack McDonald. It's led to questions over whether there needs to be better regulation of the industry.

Transcript

00:00Jenny Miller needed to have one of her eyes removed to stop cancer on her retina spreading

00:09to the rest of her body.

00:10Can I tell you how awful it was?

00:13It was terrible.

00:15Jenny was hopeful having an artificial eye made would be the start of her recovery.

00:20She made an appointment with ocularist Jack McDonald, who operates out of a number of

00:25offices around the country, including Hobart, making prosthetic eyes, fingers, ears and

00:31noses.

00:32She paid $2,800 up front for her eye.

00:37When she went for a fitting months later, it was too big, bulgy and uncomfortable.

00:42So that was when you were indicating that it was pretty sore.

00:46Jenny says Jack McDonald made attempts to adjust the eye, but it remained unsatisfactory and

00:51she lost faith in the process.

00:53I normally just power through and try and see the light at the end of the tunnel, but

00:59perhaps it's come at the end of a long journey and it's just not fair.

01:05Jamie Beverley says he had a disappointing experience with Jack McDonald.

01:09They just didn't look right.

01:11They were either too small, not aesthetically looking, the iris was in the wrong spot, you

01:16either look like you're cross-eyed or you're looking at the ground.

01:20It just was not professional the way it should be.

01:24Peter Knowles is the President of the Ocularis Association of Australia.

01:29He's received nine formal complaints about Mr McDonald, many shared common themes.

01:36Promises being made and not delivered on, and then goods being provided, or artificial

01:41eye in this case being provided, which is not fit for purpose.

01:45It's either unsightly, uncomfortable, at times painful.

01:50There's no government regulation covering ocularis in Australia.

01:54Mr Knowles says it's not been a problem until recently.

01:57Regulation.

01:58You know, will it happen, maybe?

02:01Would it help?

02:02Possibly.

02:03But our association does, without obviously being a regulatory body, we do provide a service

02:09to each other of both education, support and review.

02:15Jack McDonald is not a member of the Ocularis Association of Australia and he is not required

02:21to be.

02:22He has not answered the ABC's request for a response to concerns about his work.

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