Strabismus surgery is one of the treatment options that people afflicted with the condition can take. The procedure is done on the extraocular muscles of the eyes to basically fix the misalignment. In surgery for strabismus, the eye muscles are adjusted to make them stronger, enhancing the patient’s vision and also the appearance of the eyes.
There are four forms of surgery for strabismus that can be performed on the eye. The first kind is the weakening or the loosening procedures that entails recession, or moving the insertion of a muscle posteriorly towards its origin, tenomy, tenectomy, myotomy, and myectomy. The second type of procedure is the tightening or strengthening procedures which may involve resection, or the removing of a portion of the muscle and reattaching it to another part, tucking, or advancement of the eye muscle to a more forward position. Another kind of procedure is the repositioning or transposition procedures. Lastly, there is also the adjustable suture surgery that allows for the shortening or lengthening of the extraocular muscle after the operation for a more accurate eye alignment.
The surgery for strabismus is only a one day procedure and the patient only needs to stay in the hospital for only a few hours. Subsequent the surgery, it is typical for the eyes of the patient to be sore and red due to the spots of blood in the surgical area. The redness should be gone in just within two to three weeks and the patient should be able to go back in his or her normal everyday activities within just a few days.
When your eye doctor recommends that you get a surgery for strabismus, it is important to inquire to what extent the procedure will make the eyes look better and work better. Do not forget that the two main aims of surgery for strabismus are to give you cosmetic as well as binocular cure. There are even instances when you need to have more than one surgery in order to attain these two functions, so do not forget to ask about the expected number of surgeries as well. In addition, remember that surgery for strabismus does not modify the brain which controls and directs the eye muscles. In order to achieve the best eye vision, you may have to include vision therapy in your treatment.
Posted in: Strabismus