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.]
Rev. Miller, I just had strabismus surgery about 4 das ago and it turned out very, very well. I am 31 years old and I was born with a lazy right eye. I am also a Christian.
I had my first strabismus surgery when I was 17 and my doctors were explicit about the results, promising only very little cosmetic improvement, because if they feared that if they corrected the eyes perfectly, they eyes will divert back to their original state. Was that a good enough reason not to seek perfect alignment? Logically, no. But thank God strabimus surgery has come a long way over the years. My doctors we’re overly cautious and it turns out that I could have gotten a much better result than that which they were aiming for. They were wrong and I glad I revisited the issue, even though I wish I done it much sooner. Anyway, I also have myopia, meaning that I am very near-sighted and this complicates things a little. Your situation may be different. I highly recommend that you consult a surgeon. Why wait and why not? There is a chance that the eyes may revert to it former position, but that’s the worst case scenario, apart from the inherent risk related to surgery. Go for it and don’t wait another day longer. Remember, it is God Himself who has dispense the wisdom to medical community on how to correct these problems. It is a direct result of His grace. Go for it! God Bless you!
It has been six months since my strabismus surgery on my right eye which was out 45 units (about as much as it can go out). The doctor told me that my eye is out about 5 units, but they look cosmetically straight. I cannot notice that at all. So far I am perfectly pleased with the results and I am told by everyone they look perfectly straight. My left (good) eye is still very dominant, but I try to use both eyes eventhough I see double, for the exercise. When I drive, I do not use my right eye because that would be dangerous. My main point is that while it is true that at an older age (I am 62) it is very difficult to coordinate the brain to use both eyes and not see double, just the cosmetic improvement has done wonders for my self esteem, and that is all I wanted after all these years. When I saw the same doctor in 2005, she talked me out of the surgery saying that I probably would see double, which is true, but since I rarely use mu right eye, it does not matter to me. Now I have a cataract in my left eye (not the operated eye) which has gotten a lost worse in the last month, so I am going to see another doctor for that procedure.
I just had eye muscle three weeks ago to correct my eye turning out. Now it looks like it turns in. I was wondering if you had this same thing happen to you and how long it takes for you eye to settle into straight position.
just a quick point, you may want to look at the mental health conditions you may have if your eyes turn outwards, i only say this as your eye turns inwards. if they over correct your eye, and it starts to turn outwards. the chances of your mental health being effected increase four folds. look on you tube and type in, strabismus mayo clinic. there a talk on there about the mental health effects connected to eyes turning out.
hey, i understand what your saying about 90 percent having negative resultys. the fact is this is true, and its probable 100percent of people are not happy with the results. the fact is some people choose to restrict the prospects and just live without ever making eye contact, ask your self if they knew what they were doing in surgery ,they would correct your eyes instantly, instead of waiting til its worse. this would indicate its a last soloution. the reason its a last solution is becuase it doesnt work, it doesnt work because the issue has alot to do with your mind, not your muscles. your mind controls your eyes, thats why your able to correct your eyes yourself for an instant when you concentrate on turning it in.i would just say once they start operating on your eye, it can get scar tissue, also just the sensation of how the muscles move behind the eye, feels really uncomfortable. also it can mishape your eye lids, etc etc.
Henry, while some people are disappointed with the results, many people have been helped by strabismus surgery. There are a number in our Eyes Apart Email Support Group who have reported being pleased with the results of their surgery.
Lois
Well here’s my story…. Forgive me but I don’t remember some correct terms…
(41y/o Male)…
I was born with a right lazy eye, for the first 38 years of my life I could control it, it’ll go out, & I’d see the images split in two, kind of like a game with myself….
If I covered my left good eye then everything “wobbles” and it’s not “as” clean as the left eye..
Around 2005 I noticed my right bad eye actually wanting to se & register in my head, for most of those years my brain ignored the image from the right eye, as if things just vanished out of existence….
In 2006 I had my first surgery, doc pushed my right eye to the left, well I can see that my eyes look straight to other people watching me, BUT I have a new problem, now I see double all of the time, my right eye sees everything to the left, in essence everything’s opposite from before the surgery, an example is when I was operated, driving home I thought the cars on the other lane were in front of me, that was scary!!!!!!!!
Now if I cover my good eye everything still wobbles, and the clarity is almost but not as good as my good left eye….
Seeing double has driven me nuts, I’ve been to several eye docs who have all made me prism glasses, every prism glasses I got made my good eye see blurry, I tried them for a year… Driving was a nightmare, I feared for the kids in the car…. I still have to work & nor my bosses nor anyone else cared to hear that my vision wasn’t up to par…… I kind of solved the double vision with a $1 pair of sunglasses, popping out the left lens, putting black tape on the inside of the right lenses, it’s not as good as being able to see regular but at least the ‘other” vision is gone………………………………
I’m still trying to convince the original doc to re-operate or is possible to turn off the right eye, most of the time I feel like I’m in the twilight zone when things repeat ( things repeat ) themselves twice.. ( two moons, two roads, ), while driving red lights get me if they’re in pairs, I look at the right light and next thing you know I’m actually looking at the left light ( go figure )…
At age 41 I haven’t started drinking yet or using drugs, but if this problem continues who knows…….
I can really use some friends…
I’m Dave at davtpt@hotmail.com
Please help me keep my sanity…………………………………………
It seems as if most people skipped over my post about why the fact is that most comments on here are negative…
It is imperative to understand that sites such as these will always be filled with a larger percentage of negative comments just on the sole fact that those who undergoed strabismus surgery and have experienced negative results are MUCH MORE likely to seek help (search online, forums, grouptalks, etc etc.) as apposed to those who have experienced positive results.
We have to also understand that because strabismus surgery is the 3rd most popular eye surgery in the United States, it has to have a a large success and positive outcomes to it otherwise it would not be as popular or even be around nowadays.
I was diagnosed with an exophoria of 8 diopters and I am pushing to get the surgery because it is noticeable to the point where it really hurts my self esteem.
We should all hold a more optomistic approach and I ask those who have experienced positive results to come out and share their story as it will do wonders for this talkgroup. Thank you and best of luck to everyone.
Hello,
I have been living with a lazy eye/intermittent strabismus also all my life.
I have surgery at the age of 24 and regret it. With surgery the first few months it feels like every thing is normal…but in the future it will go back to previous years (or even worse). I wish I had just accepted myself.
The surgery was my fault, I wanted to be like everybody else. I must say I have never been bullied and always belonged to the most popular at school. It is all about attitude.
I want to tell people to be strong. Life is not all about eyes position, with a great smile and a open face you really can open doors. Ofcourse I get childish people that laugh behind my back, but I also have a very approachable attitude and with this you come really far. Believe me you have to get confidence. Other people have big noses or other facial features that are not always seen as pretty. Look around you and see for yourself.
I also have good and bad days. Then I have to kick myself and say that I have other qualities. I have a friendly smile and strong blue (not always straight) striking eyes.
A lot of famous people, like Gary Barlow (Take That), Barbara Streisant, Britney Spears (yes intermittent), Zoe Wannamaker (Susan Harper from the BBC comedy My Family) and Lucy Liu (Charlies Angels) (have strabismus……do you think less of them? I do not.
Be strong and you will see that you also have an important place in this world of maybe more straight eyed people. But believe me they have also other issues.
Mirthe
I’m 30 and have had strabismus in my left eye since birth. My mother chose not to have it corrected when I was a child and opted to leave the decision up to me when I got older. I seriously considered it a few years ago. Got tired of going swimming, or to the beach and walking around not being able to look people in the eye out of shame.
Honestly, at this point after reading alot of these posts I’m glad I didn’t have the surgery. I came here because I was considering it again, but do not want to spend the rest of my life going back to the eye doctor to correct (overcorrection/undercorrection) problems that were brought on by this surgery. Other than the cosmetic effect, I currently have no REAL problems with double vision, wandering, etc. and am not looking to adopt any.
I’ve worn (thick) eyeglasses my whole life and like most, i was teased in school because of them. But since my junior year in high school I’ve worn contact lenses, which also correct my left eye, with no problem. Good luck to all of u, but now I see why my mom opted not to have me operated on as a child. It seems this surgery may cause more harm than good and I’m certain she didn’t want me to blame her once I got older.
I’m a 29 male who has struggled with intermittent exotropia in my left eye since about the 2nd grade. My deviation was 14 PD. My mother decided not to have my eye surgically corrected. I strongly encourage strabismus patients and parents of strabismus patients to get surgery. I am now 5 days postoperative having had adjustable suture surgery and love the result. I am mildly overcorrected but my opthamologist (Dr. Sherwin J Isenberg of the Jules Stein Institute at UCLA) assured me that the overcorrection will resolve itself in 2 months. Adjustable Sutures are a well developed clinical solution for strabismus in adults.
see:
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/93/4/443
I couldn’t be happier.
Pam’s Comment on April 15th:
I just had eye muscle three weeks ago to correct my eye turning out. Now it looks like it turns in. I was wondering if you had this same thing happen to you and how long it takes for you eye to settle into straight position.
My Opthamologist Dr. Sherwin Isenberg demonstrated that for exotropia a mild overcorrection during adjustable suture surgery will give the best long term result.
Ocular Drift is in the direction of undercorrection so you will probably go straight in a month or two.
Ok I just got back from my first postop appointment with the doctors since my June 10th surgery for exotropia in my left eye. They did the cover tests near and far. And….I have perfect alignment at distant fixation. At near I do have an exophoria, however. But for the first time in my life I’m not exotropic anymore. I’m still happy.
I was born with strabismus in my left eye and had an operation when I was a baby. I never had any problems with it and no one could ever notice it up until i was about 17, my left eye began to turn in again. As the yrs have gone by its gotten worse and worse and has become a big problem for me, i am now 22.
I am very self concious about it. People always say “wow your eyes are so blue let me look at them” but i can never hold eye conact coz i am afraid when they will see my lazy eye and be put off. Its also very hard to build relationships and also hard in job interviews when I am so self concious
I have fine vision though, my doctor says that i only use my right eye (my good one) to see, and that surgery will just be purely cosmetic, and i will still only use my right eye like how i do now, but i may have double vision in left eye after, but it wouldnt matter much as my brain is used to using the right eye
Has any one ever has this surgery? If so how were the results? How long were you off work and was it very painful?
Thanks,
Angela
Angela,
I had intermittent exotropia so before when I’d close my eyes and open my eyes my eye muscles would have to tense to bring everything back into alignment. This had an effect on my sense of motion and caused vertigo. Over the years I could control my eye turn and I’d see double only when I’d get really tired or after reading for a long time.
Having straight eyes now, everything is still. When I open my eyes I feel the stillness of everything around me. I don’t get dizzy reading and I can sit back in my car and drive with my eyes relaxed. For the past 4 days my upper left brain has been tingling and tickling (from the joy of the new eye position?).
I had the strabismus surgery on a Thursday and returned to work on Monday. The surgery is done under general anesthesia so you don’t feel them working. Waking up from the surgery I had a foreign body sensation in the eye. It was more annoying than painful.
I slept almost for 30 hours after the surgery and when I woke up I stared at the shandeleire in my room for 4 hours mesmerized at this wonderful thing called binocular vision. I can’t wait to look into a microscope as I have never ever been able to look through both eye pieces simultaneously.
Chris,35
I’ve had vertical strabismus since i was a child, i walked around with my head tilted to one side which as a result made me rubbish at playing sports at school – for example every time i tried to do a simple forward rollover i would twist of at some weired angle etc..
My left eye is the dominant one and right eyelid was drooping given way to comments such as ‘you have one eye bigger than the other’ which made it a nightmare holding smoooth eye contact.
Anyway i decided after many years of bottling it to have surgery so about five years ago i had the op and the results have done nothing for my self esteem like i hoped they would.
First of on the positive side the head tilt has gone and the drooping eyelid on the lazy eye has raised giving the impression that it looks normal and looking over to the right i don’t have to squint like before.
The negatives… well the operated on left eye has not only pointing upwards worse than before its also pointing slightly outwards still giving me the one bigger than the other look, the eyelid is constantly forced into the brow when i look straight ahead so i look ‘surprised’ all the time, and suprised in one eye looks freaky!!
This was noticable as soon as i removed the patch but i was hoping it would improve as time went on as i did’nt have the guts to go through with another op. On the post op checkup
i tried (stupidly i know) to pretended i was happy with the results, even though the opthamologist did’nt see it as a success the docters words were “we don’t need to be seeing you again” er thanks.
I walked out of the hospital with feelings of i should be grateful but i’m gutted vibe, now i’ve spent the last 4 years on and off contemplating a second op.
Having eyes symetrical for cosmetic reasons may seem vain to some but it cannot be dissmissed lightly, so much expressions and emotions are communicated through the eyes so if your avoding eye contact due to strabismus then its very hard to connect with people you don’t know etc.
Communicating that your ‘surprised’ all the time kinda says the wrong thing after a while, anyway i’m glad i stumbled across this site its begining to inspire me for a follow-up op
which i should of done at the time. Someone suggested a eye excercise on here so i’ll give that a try in the mean time…
had strabismus surgery one week ago today @ university of iowa hospital…both eyes…adjustable sutures in right…no pain or nausea…doctor and staff were great…swelling and redness almost gone…still have double vision but seems to be getting better…52 years old…had surgery for crossed eyes at 12 years old but gradually turned out…eyes better aligned now…real confidence booster…hope vision comes around…post op visit with doc tomorrow…keep you posted…steve
Hey everyone,
I have suffered from strabismusin my right eye for 40 years. I have had 8 surgeries on my “bad eye” as I call it. I was born with my eye turned in…My first surgery was when I ws two and it was a great success. My right eye was straight for 20 years with no double vision. Then my eye started to turn out so I opted to have another surgery at age 21. I felt the second surgery was a success as well with my eye staying straight for about 11 years with slight double vision. The last six surgeries have all been within the last 8 years. With each surgery comes more and more scar tissue, damage to the nerves and restricted movement. From straight on… My eyes look completey normal, however, my right eye is almost totally paralyzed from the scar tissue and will not move right or left. I only have up and down movement. I have worn a cute little pirate patch on the eye for about a year. I don’t have to worry about the eyes fighting each other anymore when it comes to focusing…I saw a specialist today from India and he thinks he can successfully remove all the scar tissue with new techniques and medications that are injected into the surgery site before sutures are placed… He feels confident I will get my movement back…I really have gotten used to the patch… It is pretty cool.. I am a pretty cute lady and that patch has really helped my self esteem and ability to keep eye contact.. For those of you that are having a similar problem.. Try a patch.. You may like it.
Holly
hello im a 33 yr old attractive women,who has strabismus( a wandering left eye) and its so embarressing,ive been thinking about surgery for a while now but im afraid it might get worst, it has definately affected my social life,guys are always asking me out but im to ashame to sit at a dinner table where they have to look in my face,and no matter how pretty i may seem to others ,i dont feel it,i really dont know what to do some days i have confidence but most days i dont,,I dont know what to do,,is there anyone who ‘s had a succes with the surgery
hey steve i just was wondering how are things going after surgery,,would you suggest having it done?
hi, does anyone know what’s the average cost of eye muscle surgery without insurance in the US? with everything included…
Martin what is your surgeons name?
I had this surgery done Oct 19th ’09.
I’m a 35 old female, and my eye had strabismus when I was 24.
The first few days after surgery, it was aligned, today my eye is going the opposite way, instead of turning in towards my nose.
My condition is rare though, the eye that had strabismus is partially blind due to a cold sore virus entering the eye and leaving scar tissue blocking my vision. So my eye wanders. I’m hoping after a month or so it levels out and remains straight otherwise I will need another surgery.
I did this because I have low self esteem most times due to it. When it’s corrected when you are small it is great, but when you get it as an adult, it is heart breaking. One day you are young and attractive, and normal looking, the next day you look like a freak show, because my eye wanders. One day it’s straight, the next it isn’t.
I reside in Kansas, my surgery was done in Garden City.
Layla, if you have good insurance, I would go for it, you won’t regret it!!
My name is Billy. I am a 31 year old male going in for a second strab surgery. I had the first one when I was 7. Originally my right eye turned in, but as the years passed, it now turns out. Why is that? The Dr. is going to operate on both eyes in hopes of achieving alignment. He was very optimistic when I spoke to him since I suppress my right eye. Currently my right eye turns out 25 degrees and is very noticeable. I currently have 20/25 vision with glasses and I am told this is rare and a good indication of how the surgery will turn out. I am hoping this will work. My self-esteem is non-existent and I avoid eye contact at all costs(sound familiar?). When people ask me if I am talking to them when I am looking right at them is painful and bothers me still. I endured all the insults growing up and the social isolation that came with this condition. There are no pictures of me growing up and I run like a mad from cameras. I am very positive about this and I trust my Dr.
This George and I am 63. I have commented several times on this blog. I had my right eye done one year ago, and I am still satisfied with the results. This year, I had cataract surgery done in both eyes. It is possible that my right eye will drift out as I get older, but I am loving it for now. I look people straight into their eyes and they look back. No pain, just redness for about a month and eye drops. The doctor only did the right eye, even though she recommended doing both at one time for proper balance. I did not want her touching my good eye. My right eye was as bad as it could be at about 45 diopters out. My right eye has been lazy all my life, and I see double when I force vision through both. But most of the time, I suppress the righ eye vision and do not see double. I think the results depend a lot on the surgeon and other complications present before the surgery. I know of others who have had successful surgeries, and do not personally know of bad results. I got references from my doctor before the surgery. Do not make cost the deciding factor between two surgeons, go for experience and references.
George
George
Billy:
I had my first surgery when I was 11 52 years ago. I had my last one one year ago. Just like you, my right eye turned in. Around 20 years old, it looked straight, but over the years, it turned out more than yours to 45 degrees, so I know exactly how you feel because at times after I made presentations and asked for questions, unless I pointed to someone, they did not know who I was talking to. I also have suppressed my right eye vision for all these years, so we have a lot in common (except I am a lot older). In my case, my surgeon also recommended that both eyes be done at one time for best results, but I was reluctant to have her touch my only good eye, so she only did my lazy eye that went out. In my case, I had non adjustable sutures, but that is because she said my right eye was so far out that she would have to do the maximum muscle adjustment she could and that adjustable sutures would probably not be helpful. At 25 degrees, you can probably go either way doing both eyes, one eye, with or without adjustable sutures. If your surgeon has a lot of experience and a good reputation, I would trust his/her opinion. From my experience, childhood strabismus procedures are more common because children can be so cruel. Just make sure your surgeon has done a fair number of adults also. If any one else has any questions, I would be glad to answer them. I will check this blog daily.
Good luck.
George-It is good to hear people share their successful stories. The internet is full of horror stories of surgical horror and stories of doctor incompetence. How was your recovery time? I was told about the red eyes and the irritation, but what about blurry vision? Was that an issue for you? How long did it last? My Dr. was highly recommended by several other doctors. When I went in for my initial exam, I asked him more questions than he was asked in medical school. He politely answered them all and put me at ease. His specialty is childhood strabismus, but he has done a fair number of adult cases. His oldest case was someone in their 70s. He was very optimistic about my results and was very confident in his abilities. That made a huge impact on me. I am very good at reading people and something just felt right. He didn’t talk down to me like doctors have in the past and he was very professional. My insurance is paying for all but $700 of my surgery. I think that is a very fair price for a surgery that can have this much impact on my life.
Billy:
After the surgery, they asked if I had pain or nausea before they sent me home. I was in the surgery center about 3 and a half hours overall, including checking in, preparation, surgery, and recovery. The actual procedure took I think about 45 minutes (I was anesthesized the whole time). The next day my operated eye was very red,and combined with poor vision in it to begin with and a cataract,it was hard to tell immediately how straight it was. There was no pain whatsoever. My post-op visit two days later, the doctor said I looked fine and the deviation measurement was about 5. She said that up to 10 the eyes look cosmetically straight. You need to take drops three times a day, which is a hastle, but you must do diligently. The redness took a month to clear up. To see how straight my right eye was, I had to look at a mirror very close up.The blurriness was mainly due to the fact that my right eye has poor vision to begin with, compounded by a cataract. Up close to a mirror, my eye appeared straight or slightly overcorrected,which may be due to how close I was to the mirror (inches), but I could not tell for sure until after the redness went away when I could look form several feet away. I asked several people to give me an unbiased opinion and they all said it looked really good. Finally after a month I could see my right eye more clearly to conclude that it was good. It is hard to describe the feeling when I went to a trade show about a month after the surgery and everyone was looking straight into my eyes without looking away. From what you said, it sounds like your doctor has the right experience and attitude. At an out of pocket cost of $700, that is really good these days. When is your procedure scheduled?
My surgery is November 17th at 5 A.M. in Birmingham, AL. The only aspect of the surgery that bothers me is the 5 A.M. part. I imagine my recovery time will be a little longer since both eyes will be an issue. I will follow the post-op care directions to the letter. I work in a store where I deal with the public every day and it is hard sometimes. The redness might keep some of them in line. My follow-up is scheduled for one week after the surgery. I have a week of vacation time off following the surgery. I am hoping that will be a sufficient amount of time for the major issues to pass. I have called the surgery scheduler several times to verify I have everything in order before the surgery. I am taking no chances. This is one of the most important things I have ever done in my life and I want to be prepared. I suppose I am luckier than some. I can pick the one aspect of my life that bothers me, single it out and get help.
if you developed amblyopia or lazy eye. meaning you dont have binocular vision. you have monocular vision and one dominant eye. then surgery can be done for cosmetic purposes. to align your eyes. but amblyopia is a solidifed neurological disorder that your brain can accommodate for to some extent. but no corrective lenses can improve the vision in that eye. vision therapy is rumored to give positive results to young adults, but its minimal.
hello! please help. i have strabismus since i was a kid. i am now 23 years old. i am a registered nurse and i am really worried because my eye disorder might affect profession. i want to apply as a nurse abroad but i am scared that employers might reject me because of my eyes. do you know someone who has strabismus but are still accepted to work as a nurse in hospitals? and i am wondering too because it has been mentioned here that in strabismus surgery, even the straight eyes are being operated? why is it operated if it is already straight? by the way, an EENTH here in our country told me i also have a retinal detachment in my left eye? how can strabismus and retinal detachment be corrected at the same time? thanx
Whitney
You are right. I had no expectation or desire of regaining binocular vision since I have suppressed my right eye vision for 60 years and I see double when I consciously force myself to use my right eye. I did my surgery based on cosmetic, self confidence, and embarassement reasons. But in my opinion, those reasons are good enough to have the strabismus correction done. Enough mental suffering and ridicule for 60 years!
Princess, yes I know someone with strabismus who was still accepted to work as a nurse — me! Mine is intermittent, alternating exotropia, so I’m able to control it to a degree. But I was turned down at the first nursing school I applied to becauswe of my eyes. See my story:
http://www.eyesapart.com/2005/06/03/career-challenges/
Be persistent, don’t give up.
Retinal detachment is much more serious. I hope you are seeing an opthalmologist for that!
Lois
My surgery is scheduled for November 19th in Mobile, AL, and I am very nervous yet excited. I’ve had strabismus since I was a child and now I’m 28 y/o. I was told earlier on during childhood that this could never be corrected, and was given a perscription for hard contacts last year to correct the situation but it didn’t work. I’m nervous because of all the bad things I have heard about having to have more than one surgery to correct this and it not working, but I feel like if I don’t try I will always wonder what if. I work with the public everyday and it’s hard to make direct eye contact because I know my eye wonders. I can tell how people look at me they are wondering what is going on with her eyes and some people even ask. This has been something I have had a hard time dealing with because I consider my self a friendly person and I love to meet people but with my eyes like they are I hate make eye contact and people assume that I am really shy. Dating is almost impossible because of this. I will post another comment after I have my surgery. I’m so happy to have found this site because I felt like I was the only person going through this.
Tasha-Your words echo the feelings of many of us. My surgery is November 17th in Birmingham. The reactions people have can be painful. I try to ignore them, but it is hard. Stay positive and focus on the results.
Tasha and Billy:
Probably every strabismus surgery is different because of other conditions affecting the eye. In my case, I had strabismus previously in France in 1956 and my surgeon said that she had scarring to deal with from that early procedure. I bet most of you did not know that strabismus surgery had been around that long. Also, because of my extreme right eye outward deviation (45 diopters), she had to do the maximum eye muscle adjustment she could without adjustable sutures. In other words, what you see is literally what you get. But she was confident about it because she had worked on these conditions before, having over 20 years specializing with strabismus surgery. After one year, I am very pleased with the results. If your surgeon has years of experience, he or she has probably seen your exact situation before and knows how to deal with it. That is why experience and references are important, as I have stated previously. Good luck with your procedures and I expect to hear from you in two weeks. I was confident of my surgeon, but my greatest fear was being put to sleep and losing conscious control. It is important that those of us who have good results report them and not just the bad results as was noted by another blogger. I personally feel such a relief from the 60 years of embarassment that I want to shout it to the world. I feel that I am no longer socially isolated. That is why I blog, and I have said before, hog this site so much (I have never blogged on any other medical site for any reason)
Princess:
This is George again. My surgeon told me that she preferred to operate both eyes to help balance the muscles. I suppose that is the currently preferred method. I told her that I did not want to have her touch my good eye. In my engineering field, the saying goes “if it is not broke, do not fix it”, so I told her no touching the left eye. She said then she would do the best she could in that case, so she only operated on my lazy right eye that was out 45 diopters. One year later, as James Brown said in his old song “I feel good” about my decision. For your information, I also had cataracts in both eyes, which I have fixed since the strabismus surgery.
I leave in a few hours for my surgery. I have more apprehension involving the hospital gown than the surgery. I have scheduled a week off of work for recovery and I go back for my followup a week after the procedure. The Dr. will be operating on both eyes(bilateral rectus) in hopes of achieving good alignment. I currently have a right eye that turns out 25 degrees. I will post the results as soon as I can.
Billy:
I expect to hear good news from you in a week. Do not be worried about the intense redness, that is normal. Ask someone to help you with the drops if you need to. I turned off the lights directly above me because they glared into my eyes and I could not see well with that glare to place the drops in the right place.
My surgery was yesterday. My eyes are extremely red and I am very sensitive to light. I fully expected all this. What I did not expect was my eye to be nowhere near straight. Will this get better? My Dr. said everything went perfect and he was happy with the results. Is it normal for the eyes not to be straight right after the surgery? Is it because of selling? I am really worried I will have to have another surgery.
Guys, if you are considering strabismus surgery make sure that you take the time out to get a second or even third opinion. Even if you know that you need surgery, having a second opinion is needed to make sure that your surgeon will be performing the appropriate procedure.
I was recently recommended by a number of top surgeons including ophthalmologists to a strabismus expert widely considered to be “the best of the best” And indeed, he has a number of accolades to his name including being named “Amreica’s top doctor” a number of times. He also has many many years of experience. Since i was pressed for time and since he was considered “the best,” I simply trusted his work and did not go for a second consultation. As it turns out, he misdiagnosed my condition and only performed half the surgery necessary to correct my strabismus. As a result, i now have to have a re-operation to finish the job- something that would have taken an extra 20 minutes in the operating room had he not missed the problem in his diagnosis.
Every day now, I suffer from frustration and sadness that my eye is only “halfway fixed” due to a careless mistake that, frankly could have happened to anyone. Please protect yourself from this happening to you by getting as many expert opinions as you can before making the final decision what to do.
Billy:
A few days after my surgery, I thought that my right eye was overcorrected. Since you cannot see well yet from a distance, looking close up at a mirror may make it appear that way. Upon my post op visit, my doctor also said she was satisfied with the results, but I did not completely believe her either. But as I said before, everyone is different. I remember someone else saying last year that looking close up at a mirror made it look off center. In my case, the inside of my eye was so red that it made it appear to be closer in than it actually was. Give it a couple of weeks at least. They say the eye muscles take at least two weeks to settle into position.
After that, get someone you know well who was familiar with your condition before to give you an objective opinion by looking straight into their eyes from about 10 feet away. I recommend you do not get a family member to do this because they will tell you what they think you want to hear. At least that is what I did.
Thank you George. That actually made me feel better. It has been 4 days since my surgery and I am still in pain. My eyes are burning and light is like rusty daggers. My right eye looks no better than it did before the procedure. It is amazing how much of a let down something like this can be. I am still applying the neomycin drops three times a day and following the post-op directions to the letter. I was told I could return to work after three days, but that is simply impossible. It is hard to look at a computer screen for more than 10 minutes at a time and driving is a real chore. I am trying to remain optimistic, but it is hard. I have left several messages with my Dr., but none of them have been returned. I am going to try again Monday morning.
Billy:
I can identify with your feelings. I was disappointed when I thought my right eye was overcorrected. But that eased after the redness dissipated and I could see for myself, and people confirmed the improvement. Since you are so concerned with the results and while you are waiting for redness improvement and eye settling, I would go into the office instead of waiting for a call. Understanding that everyone heals differently,I did not have the pain you described, or that intense reaction to light. Just in case, I would keep a log of every call you have made or tried, and to whom you talked to and what they said starting with the pre-op visit in case you continue to get no answers, or are not pleased with the results by next week.
Perfumed:
You give good advise about a second opinion, and I would add ask for references from recent patients for the surgeon you have tentatively selected. Any significant medical procedure should be thoroughly investigated, just like a major financial investment. That is why this site is a good source to provide experiences, good or bad, and support for others who are considering strabismus surgery to provide a basis for an important medical decision. Ultimately, 90% of the success of the procedure depends on the surgeon you trust and select. Any one else have an opinion on this?
Well, I went back for my 1 week follow-up. The Dr. said it is 1/3 of the way closer to being straight. He was very happy with the results. It is healing well and some of the redness has subsided. I have no double vision and I am able to do everything I could before. My vision is a little different than before, but the Dr. told me that was due to residual swelling. I have to go back in a little over a month for the final post-op visit. Then we are going to assess the situation and decide on the next step. He seemed very surprised that I was unsatisfied with the results. Am I wrong in feeling this way? There was talk of another surgery in the Spring. I am not looking forward to that.
hi my 9 year old son is due for his strabismus surgery in 3 days…his left eye is lazy but has no vision problems hes able to align them on his own withougt a problem…so i am worried about the procedure and the outcome…will he lose strength of his own eye muscles after surgery and will he have to go back for more surgery as he gets older….i want to know if its possible that his eyes will get worse after time…. i am soo very nervous, am i doing the right thing with going through with this????
For concerned mother: I suggest you join our Eyes Apart strabismus support group at Yahoo. You’ll find mothers there whose children have had surgery, as well as adults who have experienced it. Just look for the purple square in the top right section of any page of EyesApart.com. Best to you! Lois
Billy:
I am glad to hear that the swelling and redness have subsided. It took me about 3 weeks for most of the redness to go away. I also had some swelling. When the doctor says it is 1/3 corrected, how far out (or in) was it? My right eye was out 45 diopters, just about max. I was told that up to 10 diopters they appear cosmetically straight. During my last check up, I was told it was out about 5, but I cannot tell it is out at all now. In my case, I see double if I force vision through my right eye because after 60 years of suppression, I did not expect to have binocular vision. Did you have adjustable sutures for fine adjustment?