How successful is strabismus surgery in toddlers?

CONTEXT: Surgery for horizontal strabismus reportedly has a success rate of 60%–80%.

Is strabismus surgery safe for toddlers?

Strabismus surgery can be performed in children as young as four months of age and is an important option for older children and adults as well. It’s better to perform surgery as early as possible, because the brain circuits for binocular vision (using the two eyes together) are most adaptable at a young age.

How long does it take to recover from eye muscle surgery?

Postoperative Strabismus/diplopia: It takes approximately 6 weeks for the eyes to heal and gain their full function; therefore a lot of eye alignment changes take place during this time. Must allow a full 6 weeks before the outcome of the surgery can be accurately assessed.

Why would a toddler need eye surgery?

Eye muscle surgery (strabismus correction surgery) is used to treat eye deviation that’s caused by uneven eye muscles. Kids might be diagnosed with strabismus (crossed eyes) during a vision screening, or parents might notice that a child’s eyes are not aligned with each other.

Is it worth getting strabismus surgery?

In fact, most adult patients with strabismus can be successfully treated, with ∼80% of patients achieving satisfactory alignment with one surgical procedure. In addition, adult strabismus surgery carries a relatively low risk, with serious complications being anecdotal and rare.

What happens after child strabismus surgery?

The eyes will look red and a bit swollen. They might become straighter within 1 or 2 days after surgery, but you might not be able to see it yet. This is because of bruising and swelling. Your child’s eyes might look straighter as they heal.

How long does a strabismus surgery take?

How Long Does the Surgery Take? The surgery itself is usually about 30 minutes long for each muscle. However, putting a child to sleep and waking him up again also usually takes 20 to 45 minutes. Your child will be away from you for around 1 – 2 hours.

Will my child need glasses after strabismus surgery?

If your child needed glasses before surgery, they will most likely still need them after the surgery. While surgery will help straighten your child’s eyes, it is only one part of the treatment. Surgery alone is not a complete cure for every child. Sometimes, an eye will also need patching after an operation.

Do kids need glasses after strabismus surgery?

Glasses After Strabismus Surgery Only very rarely can glasses be stopped after eye muscle surgery, and this is NOT the goal of the surgery. If your child has never worn glasses, or has worn them in the past but not now, there is a small possibility that glasses will be needed after surgery.