ptosis crutch

[chip anderson]

Use a butane torch or electric welder for frames, soldering irons don't get hot enough (except for plastic).

[QDO1]

The last one I made - used the inside of a side with a duff sprung joint, and heatshrink. the one before that was a reall bad problem - Nickel allergy... had to use a stainless steel side, and mount into a plastic frame drilled a oversized hole in the frame, but not going all the way through the front, and infilled with epoxy resin

The kids nowadays leave school with no hand skills in general, so we are all doomed

[cinders831]

Went to a course this weekend (Vegas) entiltled challanging fitting solutions, they showed crutches and many other fitting suggestions, for prosthetics (SP?) and people with out ears...some decent stuff.

[chip anderson]

who did the course? Like to know those few Opticians left.

[Alvaro Cordova]

Anyone knows who makes the ptosis crutches-frames with the support for the upper eyelid? I think there's a guy in New Jersey but I heard he retired. HELP!!!

Usually you just solder a cable temple to the bridge. It is kind of that easy unless you don't know how to solder. When I say solder I mean the arc solderer or using an electric soldering machine (same thing). Torch soldering in my opinion, a little messy, but if you can do it then great. Soldering is a great skill to have. I have heard of some opticians making money hand over fist for simply providing repairs. Don't know of anyone personally except myself, and I don't have access to a soldering machine. I am also not as proficient as I'd like to be. I will probably end up buying my own.

[cinders831]

who did the course? Like to know those few Opticians left.

The fellow whom taught my class was Alex Yoho ABOM. Nice guy and full of information.

[hcjilson]

Hilco can do it......

Can't they also be had from Hilco?? Might be better service than Frannel.

Jacqui is correct, Hilco can do it....it takes about a week. Just send the frame you want done to their repair service. It takes about a week and its a very professional looking job. They make it look like it was manufactured that way.

hj

[chip anderson]

The only problem with having some service center do it, they really need to be hand fitted, to patient's lid crease, and lid tension. Ideally, they will allow the lid to open an close but give enough tension to keep the lid open wide enough to allow vision.

[Jason Carruthers]

I learned how to make a ptosis crutch in school. But since then I have never seen one person with crippled eyelids.

[QDO1]

One could also look at the services of the local denture lab, or Maxio-facial Lab - those guys are very skilled at bending metal wires, spot welding and polishing and regulrlary deal with many metal and plastic combinations. A while ago, my office was next door to a maxio-facial lab, and thier work is inspiring, far beyond the skillset of our repairers

Another option would be the local jeweler. Once I had a one-off screw made for a antique restoration I was doing. I was gobsmacked... The inch long silver screw fit straight into a solid silver pair of sunglasses, first time, no adjustments at all, old fashioned thread and all that

[TamCheah]

Hello, I can make them, I've made a few in my career as an optician. It can usually be attached to any frame or lens. Takes about an hour to design and fabricate. Tam Cheah - Toronto - tamcheah@hotmail.com

[Chris Ryser]

the last qualified optician actively making these crutches died ....................

According to local Ophthalmologist's the last qualified optician actively making these crutches died about 3 years ago and nobody has taken his place in a city like greater Montreal with a population of 3,824,221.

So it is refreshing to hear that at least in Toronto is somebody that has taken up the craft to help the ones in need of such a device and do a little more than just selling glasses.

[Jacqui]

So it is refreshing to hear that at least in Toronto is somebody that has taken up the craft to help the ones in need of such a device and do a little more than just selling glasses.[/FONT][/COLOR]

Some of us in the U.S. still make them too Maybe you should have some of the patients cross the border

[MakeOptics]

You know they surgically treat that in this day and age, you can even get most insurance companies to pay for it if you can show loss of field. I had to make on once and it was for an OMD that was just trying to rattle me, he did the surgery after I made it and told the patient I never made it right in the first place. I used silver wire, flattened through successive rolling between a small set of rollers before soldering to the top rim.

(never knew where the boss picked up that roller but he probably had it passed down from the thousand year old guy who used it once too.)

USELESS SKILL PASS

[Chris Ryser]

You know they surgically treat that in this day and age .............................

You know they surgically treat that in this day and age, you can even get most insurance companies to pay for it .......................

That is correct ................................

I have had it done twice over the last 12 years on my right eye which is doing 75% of my binocular vision. Done by an ophthalmic plastic surgeon under local anaesthesia and 6 students watching.

First time he cut some skin out on the eyelid.

Second time, 4 years ago he said that time he would remove a strip of skin right above the eyebrow line so he could go back into the eyelid if ever it was needed again. However at that place he would have to cut through a nerve and would loose all feelings in my forehead. I agreed and it was done that way, I lost all feeling on the right side of my forehead right back to me right ear. However most of it has come back over the last 4 years.

I never needed to make my last ptosis crutch for myself and still have a ticket for a third shot to operate if it happens again.