Several have asked how my strabismus surgery went. I had eye muscle surgery in May…lateral rectus recession. My eyes had been drifting a lot more prior to the surgery, and had become increasingly unstable and uncomfortable. It was difficult to hold a focus to read. My eyes are much more comfortable since the surgery, less tension, and I get a lot less headaches now. My eyes don’t drift as spastically as before surgery. They still drift though, especially at close range. I still can’t focus to read very long. My eyes look straight, but one eye sees things rotated slightly clockwise, the other slightly counter-clockwise since the surgery, and things appear higher with one eye than the other, so it was a bit of a trade-off I think.
My surgeon had told me at my one month checkup that I would likely need medial rectus resection in the fall. But when I went back last month, he didn’t seem to think that would help and made prism glasses instead. The prism glasses didn’t help either. Things were very distorted with them, and I saw two images of everything. (Update 11-15-05: I’ve since gotten prism glasses from my local optometrist, and I can see out of them much better. I have to hold things very close to my face to read with them, and can’t read for a long time like I’d hoped. But am trying to adjust to them so they will be more useful. I’ll keep you posted.)
I think if I had been able to get help sooner it may have been easier to turn things around. I’ve had strabismus over 50 years and it’s gradually gotten worse. One of my main goals with this blog is that others might find the help they need early. Not that I’ve given up. I’m grateful for the help I’ve gotten and continue to do vision therapy and work to improve my eyes. I’m learning that success may not be measured in whether I am able to read a lot again, but in what I’m able to make out of the vision I have at this point in my life.
[Update September 24, 2007: On April 12, 2007, I shared an update about my second strabismus surgery done on January 4, 2007. There are links in that post about problems I was having related to my first surgery in 2005. There is also a link at the bottom of that post to my June 23, 2007 post which updates my latest progress. I still have difficulty maintaining a focus to read. I still have difficulty finding things in a page, and I still have difficulty finding locations I'm not familiar with when driving. But I am thankful for the progress I've made. You can fill in the gaps of my story by clicking the Lois' story link in the sidebar.]
Lonyelle:
I think Monet said the unisured procedure is 6000-7000 including the hospital an anethesiologist. That sounds about right. I had insurance, but because I also had hernia surgery earlier the same year, 80% of mine was covered because I had met my deductible, so I think I wound up paying about $2000 out of pocket. Do not tell your doctor and that he does not say to the insurance company that it is strictly for cosmetic reasons because the insurance will not pay for that. Tell them it is difficult for you to read or do computer work or drive because of double vision, as an example.
Hi, an update on my Botox procedure, hopefully it will help others going through similar problems. I had surgery for exotropia (outward turn) in June 2011 and unfortunately was left with an inward turn to my eye after a long time of healing. My eye is now healed and not sore or tender any more, and the pink scarring I was left with on the inside corner is fading and not particularly noticable unless looking very close up, and doesn’t bother me. I had the Botox injection Wednesday 7th Dec and it was completely painless (the eye is numbed with drops first), I was worried that when these wore off, the eye would be sore, but it wasn’t. I was told it takes about 3-4 days for the effects of the Botox to become apparent, after a day or so, I noticed a very small adjustment to my eye, now 5 days later my eye is straight – for the first time in over 20 years. I do not have any sight in this eye (only about 10%) after problems over the years with detached retina & cataract and that was why my eye drifted out. Don’t give up or accept being told there’s nothing can be done about your eye problems. My own experience has been a difficult one, but today my eyes are straight and it’s great.
To Lori on 12/12/11…where did you have your Botox injection done. I have optic nerve atrophy to my left eye and 90% blind, also it is tends to go inward. I can’t afford to undergo surgery .. so probably Botox is cheaper..my life is miserable and people are making fun of me..
Great news, Lori. I was not aware that Botox could adjust the eye muscles. In the sense that I hardly use my right eye, I am like you. I have not used it since I was two years old, and I am now 65. My complication is that I also had cataracts in both eyes and no one told me until just before my strabismus surgery in 2008, so I wore thick glasses all those years in addition to having severe exotropia in my right eye. Not much fun.
Allie, I got my Botox done on our NHS here in England because the surgeon left me with an inward turning eye after the surgery. The injection lasts about 3 months and often needs to be repeated. Google Botox for treatment of strabismus and I am sure you will find out more and where you can get it done in your part of the world. I am sure that most eye hospitals offer this treatment. Good luck!
Lori.
Lori:
someone on another eyesapart site would like to know more about your
botox procedure. Could you please contact her. She goes under lovelucybell
and the site is eyesapart@yahoogroups.com. I told her to go to the my strabismus surgery to contact you. I hope you can get together.
my 3 yr old child had exotropia and had his squint surgery done but now his eyes are going inwards ..can any one help me ?is this normal
Hi,
I had surgery a couple months ago. I developed a cyst in the corner of my eye that hasn’t gone away and has starting hurting. Apparently a small percentage of people develop a cyst around where the stitch was placed. I went in today and he is going to surgically remove it. I am not that happy about the reduction in my intermittant exophoria, but am hoping that removal of this cyst helps me out by letting my eyes ‘relax’ and fuse better.