For patients both young and old with eye misalignment, or strabismus, surgery can often be performed.
Some reasons to perform strabismus surgery include the following:
This child has a dissociated vertical deviation (DVD), a type of strabismus in which one eye will periodically drift upward, while the other eye stays put. Surgery can be curative.
- To help the eyes work together and promote the development of good binocular vision, or depth perception. This is most important for young children, during the critical period of visual development that occurs in the first few years of life.
- To eliminate double vision. This is usually more of a concern for adults, as children with strabismus typically ignore the second image and don't have double vision.
- To minimize any abnormal head turn or tilt that a patient might prefer, either consciously or subconsciously, to try to minimize their strabismus. These abnormal head postures, if present chronically, can become physically and socially disabling.
- To improve the ability to interact with others. There is an unfair stigma that often exists in society with regard to people with eye misalignment. I love helping people get their eyes straight, not only because it helps their vision, but also because it helps them gain confidence in their social interactions.