To be clear, this review concerns Dr. Mitchell Cassel and Custom Color Contacts, which operates inside Studio Optix. I rarely write negative reviews, but I feel obligated to share this in case it helps others in a similar situation. Several years ago, I traveled from Louisiana to Studio Optix in Manhattan, hoping for a custom prosthetic lens (which was advertised as a “custom” lens) for my blind right eye to improve its appearance. Instead of taking an impression or following the standard custom process, pre-made thick shells/lenses were shown to me, and one was inserted. Almost immediately it was painful. My eye became red and irritated. After sending photos and explaining what I was experiencing, the suggestion was simply to come back and try another pre-made shell. I went back once but the result not any better. After traveling so far and spending about $1,500 out of pocket with no insurance accepted, I had lost all confidence. What has stayed with me isn’t just the financial loss, it’s that the experience convinced me for years that this was as good as it gets. Only years later did I learn that true ocularists create fully custom prosthetics based on an impression.
If you have a blind disfigured eye (even if it’s not removed), you have the option to get a scleral shell from a board certified ocularist which looks very natural.
I wish I had known years ago.
UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO OWNER’S REPLY:
First, the reference to enucleation or evisceration is misleading and completely incorrect. My eye was never removed, and I was never seeking to have it removed. I have a blind eye that remains in place but is disfigured.
The owner’s description of their “custom” process also does not reflect my experience. My consultation alone cost about $500. During that visit, I was shown only a few pre-made, thick prosthetic lenses/shells. No measurements of my eye were taken, no impression or mold was made, and there was no individualized fitting or fabrication process comparable to what I later experienced with an ocularist. What I ultimately received appeared to be a pre-formed prosthetic lens or shell that was modified for me. It was thick, uncomfortable, poorly made, and cosmetically disappointing.
I also believe the marketing on their website is misleading when compared with what I actually received. Their website, https://www.customcontacts.com/, shows highly natural-looking cosmetic and prosthetic results and gave me the impression that I could expect something comparable. My actual result looked nothing like those examples.
Cost and insurance are also worth mentioning. I was offered Spectera, but they did not even accept it. By contrast, ocularists commonly work with health insurance for medically necessary ocular prostheses and scleral shells, subject of course to the particular plan and coverage. At the time, I had no idea that seeing an ocularist was even an option, much less that insurance might help cover it.
I did mention legal action, but only after I had paid about $1,500, returned for another attempt, was still unhappy with the result, and asked for a refund. Reducing the entire history to “legal threats” is misleading.
What bothered me most is the lasting effect this experience had on me. I was only 25 years old at the time. Because I believed this was one of the best places for this type of work, I came away thinking that the poor result I received was simply as good as these prosthetic options could get. I did not try again for years.
I have
now received a genuinely custom scleral shell from an ocularist and am extremely happy with it. Seeing what was actually possible made me realize how much time I lost because of that earlier experience. My advice to anyone seeking a cosmetic prosthetic solution for a blind eye is to consult a reputable ocularist first, ask about insurance coverage, and understand the difference between a pre-formed prosthetic lens or shell and a truly custom-fitted ocular prosthesis.
If anything, I should have left this review much sooner.
