Affiliations 

  • 1 Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Ministry of Health Malaysia
  • 2 Johor State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia
  • 3 Johor Bahru Oral Health District Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia
Q Bulletin, 2020;1(29):16-27.
MyJurnal

Abstract

The Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Bahru started managing patients who lost their eyeballs with ocular prosthesis in 2013. Unfortunately, there was an increasing trend of failed ocular prosthesis from 2013-2015. The failure rate went from 28.6% in 2013 to 40% in 2014 and increased to 44.4% in 2015. Failed ocular prosthesis not only leads to dissatisfied patients but also an increase in cost due to redoing of prosthesis. The objective of this project was to reduce the incidence rate of failed ocular prosthesis. A failed case is when the prosthesis does not pass the issue stage and has to be redone from the beginning. The standard failure rate is 0%, as the average number of cases per year is only about 10 cases. We determined the contributing factors of failed ocular prosthesis by analysing retrospective data from patients’ dental and lab records. This was followed by a self-administered questionnaire on reasons for failed cases which was distributed among the dentists and lab technicians in our department. The contributing factors that were identified included insufficient knowledge or skill of dentist and lab technicians in the construction of the ocular prosthesis, as well as improper screening of new cases which was the main factor of all the failed cases. The strategies for change included improving the process of care by creating a checklist for proper screening of new patients, mentoring of new staff, and continuous training on construction of ocular prosthesis, Fabricated Iris Mould innovation technique and early referral for insertion of eye conformer. The interventions that were implemented reduced the failure rate to 20% in 2016 followed by 0% in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Ongoing efforts are being done to replicate this project in other Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery clinics in Johor.