Living with eye removal

It's not unusual to struggle with a range of emotions after losing one or both eyes.

Your confidence might be affected while adjusting to the change or loss of your vision. Some people feel a bit more reluctant to join social situations they would have been happy with before.

Some people feel self-conscious about having a visible difference. While you're recovering, you can wear eye patches or sunglasses if this helps you feel more confident about meeting people. The organisation Changing Faces has advice on confidence and self-esteem for people living with a visible difference.

People who have had one eye removed can feel more anxious about protecting the sight in their good eye. There are many ways to protect your eye health, such as having regular eye tests and wearing protective eyewear. Taking these practical steps might help you worry less about your remaining eye.

Your eye doctor and ocularist will tell you how to care for your eye socket and artificial eye or eyes. You can use saline solution to clean the eye socket, and you'll be told when and how to clean your prosthesis. Find out more about caring for your artificial eye from the NHS National Artificial Eye Service.

If you notice changes, including irritation, swelling or discharge from your eye sockets, speak to your eye doctor straight away.

You'll have follow-up appointments with your ocularist and surgeon, typically at least once a year. They will monitor the health of your eye sockets, and the ocularist will check and polish your artificial eye or eyes. Artificial eyes typically need replacing after five to seven years.

Surprising as it may sound, having only one eye doesn't always mean you can't drive. If you don't have a visual impairment in your remaining eye, you have adapted to seeing with one eye, and you meet the DVLA's minimum vision standards, you might be able to drive.

Your eye doctor will need to confirm that you've adjusted fully to monocular vision before being allowed to drive.

The rules aren't the same for people with different licenses, such as HGV drivers, so check with the DVLA and speak to your eye doctor about your circumstances.

You'll need some time off work while recovering from eye removal surgery. How long will depend on personal circumstances, such as whether driving is part of your job role. Speak to your eye doctor in advance so you can plan ahead with your employer.

Many people will be able to continue working after the removal of an eye, especially after adjusting to monocular vision. You might need extra help while getting used to seeing with one eye. Speak to your employer about the kind of things that will help you. They are responsible for making reasonable adjustments to support you at work.

Depending on your type of work, you might need to take extra precautions to look after your remaining eye. For example, if you work in a particularly dirty or dusty environment, it's sensible to wear safety glasses.

Certain jobs require binocular vision (vision in both eyes), for example, in the armed forces. If you work in such a role, you may need to speak to your employer about assessing your skills and suitability for an alternative role. Contact us on our Guide Line for more advice and support.

Having one eye isn't necessarily considered a disability unless you have vision loss in your other eye. This is because most people can adjust to monocular vision with time and carry on doing all the day-to-day activities they used to do.

However, if the vision in your remaining eye isn't good, then you might be eligible to register as having a sight impairment. Speak to your ophthalmologist, who can check whether your vision meets the criteria and register you as sight impaired. Doing this can help you get other support, such as financial benefits.

If you have both eyes removed, then moving about safely indoors and outdoors will probably be one of the things worrying you. There are many different techniques and ways to cope with moving around. Learning and building on these will take time, but your confidence in moving about will grow with practice.

Here are some of the techniques that could help you:

• Protective techniques - these help you protect your body, face and head when you're looking for things, especially in a familiar indoor environment.

• Trailing - this technique can help you move safely through hallways and rooms, learning what is around you.

• Learning the layout of a room - can help you enter an unfamiliar room.

• Using a cane - many people with vision impairment use a cane to help them get around safely, independently and confidently.

We have a range of services and support that we can tailor to your specific needs. We can help you grow your confidence in getting around safely and independently with sight loss. Find out how to get support.

If you're employed when you have eye removal surgery, you'll need some time off to recover, but it doesn't mean you'll have to stop working entirely.

You may need some adjustments to help you manage at work. Employers have a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs. You can work with your employer to help them understand your needs.

The Access to Work scheme gives employers a grant to help pay for equipment or services you need to work. These grants can be used in many ways. For example, it could help you get safely to and from work if you can't use public transport or pay for a support worker to assist you.

If you can't continue in the same role, even with equipment and support, you may be able to do a different job with the same employer. If you've been planning to have eye removal surgery for a while, it can help to think ahead and speak to your employer in advance.

You're likely to need support to adjust to your sight loss after eye removal. This could mean help to make your home safer, training in skills for daily living, and guidance on getting around safely. There are lots of services and charities that can play a role:

• Your ophthalmologist may be able to refer you to a hospital Eye Clinic Liaison Officer who can give you support and information, especially in the early days of living with sight loss.

• You should also get support from social services. Registering as sight impaired will trigger a referral. They should assess your needs and offer support and advice, including equipment and adaptations to help you manage daily life at home.

• You may get help from a rehabilitation specialist. They can help you re-learn the skills you need to cope with the practicalities of daily life with sight loss.

• We have many techniques that can help you, including independent living skills at home and independent living skills for personal care.

Although you don't have to, you may want to become registered as severely sight impaired. This can make you eligible for further support and benefits to ease some of the worry and expense that comes with a loss of vision. Your ophthalmologist can complete a certificate for you.

Regular eye examinations with an optician can help you look after the health of your remaining eye. They'll be able to detect any new issues and ensure you have an up-to-date prescription for any refractive errors. It's a good idea to take extra care by using protective eyewear for activities like DIY and contact sports.