Strabismus Treatment in Children in 12 Questions

Strabismus is a disorder in which the parallelism between the two eyes is disrupted and can be seen since infancy. Strabismus, which can be temporary or permanent, is a health problem that should be kept under surveillance and its progression should be stopped.

The baby’s routine eye examination should not be interrupted in case it is not noticed by some families until it reaches a certain stage. If strabismus is diagnosed, strabismus treatment should be provided with appropriate treatments.

1) At what age should a baby with wandering eyes be taken to an ophthalmologist?

It is natural for babies to have eye misalignment in the first 4 months . With the development of eye muscles, eye misalignment can disappear and the problem of strabismus can disappear. However, if it does not go away after the 4th month, various treatment planning may be required.

Early diagnosis of eye misalignment is an important topic that facilitates treatment. Therefore, it is of great importance to keep eye slippage under surveillance, even if it is temporary. If eye misalignment is observed in the baby, the baby should be taken to an ophthalmologist for routine examination.

2) Why are Early Diagnosis and Treatment Important in the Treatment of Strabismus in Children?

Strabismus is a disease that can progress and cause visual disturbances. With early diagnosis, negative effects on eye health and deviation can be corrected with an easier treatment. Even if surgical intervention is needed, the percentage of successful results from surgery can be increased with early intervention.

3) What Causes Eye Distortion in Children?

Eye strain in children can be caused by various reasons. If the mother or father has misaligned eyes, this condition can be genetically transmitted to the baby. Strabismus may develop due to a head trauma the baby receives during birth.

Strabismus may also occur due to an infectious or febrile disease, Down syndrome and other hereditary chromosomal disorders. Although rare, strabismus may also occur due to a brain tumor.

4) How is Strabismus Diagnosed?

Strabismus is diagnosed by an ophthalmologist after necessary examinations. Following routine examination, special strabismus tests can be applied when necessary . However, in childhood, the diagnosis can usually be made easily during routine examination.

5) What Happens If Eye Strain Is Not Treated?

If the eye is not crossed , it may cause amblyopia . Progressive amblyopia results in complete loss of vision. Developmental disorders in 3D vision may occur due to strabismus. Due to the increase in eye deviation angle, symptoms such as double vision, headache or eye pain that will negatively affect daily life are observed. If treatment is interrupted, the severity of these symptoms may increase.

The person may have self-confidence problems due to increased angle differences in the angle of the eyes. This situation may negatively affect the child’s entire social and business life in the future.

6) Which Treatment Methods Are Preferred for Eye Strain in Children?

Among the treatments for eye strain in children : glasses treatment, tape treatment, eye exercises and surgical interventions. Depending on the stage of strabismus and its response to other treatment methods, effective treatment can be provided with surgical interventions.

7) What is the Age Limit for Strabismus Surgery in Children?

There is no age limit for strabismus surgery in children . If necessary, eye misalignment surgery can be performed on babies aged 8-10 months . Since the surgery is performed under general anesthesia, the baby does not feel any pain. Since the eye will only be closed for 1 day after the surgery, any psychological trauma that may occur in the baby due to the surgery is prevented.

8) Do Every Child Require Surgery?

Surgery is not required in every case of strabismus . The progression of strabismus can be stopped and healed with glasses or prism glasses, drops, tape and exercise treatments.

If the eye does not respond to these treatments and the strabismus progresses, surgical interventions are required. If it is determined that the child needs eyelid surgery , the surgery should be performed without delay.

9) How Long Does Eye Misalignment Surgery Take?

Strabismus surgery is a surgery performed under general anesthesia in children. Depending on the structure of the eye and the number of muscles to be intervened, the surgery takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour. In rare cases, the surgery duration may take up to 1.5 hours.

10) Is Hospitalization Necessary After Eye Slipping Surgery in Children?

Hospitalization is not required after eyelid surgery in children . After the surgery, the patient rests in the hospital for about 5-6 hours. After meeting with the doctor, the patient is discharged.

11) Does the need for glasses disappear after misalignment surgery?

After eye misalignment surgery, the need for glasses depends on the patient’s condition. If there are already vision problems due to strabismus , glasses should continue to be used. In cases of advanced strabismus , the necessary correction may not be achieved with a single surgery. In such cases, glasses may be needed to support the surgical process.

However, if the person’s only eye problem is strabismus, the need for glasses often disappears after surgery.

12) Will Lazy Eye Get Improved After Misalignment Surgery?

In eyelid surgeries, no application is made on the visual center. This means that the surgery does not contribute to amblyopia . Only parallelism between the eyes can be achieved with strabismus surgery . However, the progression of amblyopia due to strabismus can be prevented with surgery.

Therefore, if strabismus occurs in children, eye misalignment should be treated before it causes amblyopia . If a small angle difference is detected, this change should be kept under control with routine checks. Progression of strabismus may cause amblyopia in adulthood.

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