A patient has become the first in the world to have an ocular prosthesis made by a 3D printer implanted, according to the London hospital that performed the operation. 

The use of 3D printing should make it possible to halve the manufacturing times of prosthetic eyes, currently around six weeks, while making more realistic implants, the Moorfields Biomedical Research Center in east London said in a statement. 

"I've needed a prosthesis since I was 20, and I've always felt self-conscious about it," said patient Steve Verze, a 40-year-old London engineer.

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"When I leave home, I often look at myself a second time in the mirror, and I don't like what I see," he added. "This new eye," which he was able to try out previously, "looks fantastic and, being based on 3D digital printing technology, it's only going to be better and better."

Traditional implants, made using acrylic, require the creation of a mold of the patient's eye socket, an invasive procedure, especially for children who may require general anesthesia. 

With the 3D version, a simple scan of the eye is enough. Software then builds a three-dimensional model. The result is sent to a printer in Germany, which prints the eye in just two-and-a-half hours. 

The false eye also seems more natural as it lets light through to its entire depth. 

"We hope this clinical trial provides us with strong evidence of the added value of this new technology and the difference it makes for patients. This clearly has the potential to reduce waiting lists," said Mandeep Sagoo, an ophthalmologist at the hospital. 

According to the Moorfields Eye Charity, more than 8 million people worldwide have an ocular prosthesis as a result of a deformity, illness, or trauma. The organization emphasizes that manufacturing techniques have changed little in 50 years.