“At what age is surgery recommended for squint eye?”
My son is 5 years old and has a squint in his right eye. At what age would you recommend surgery for him? Our eye doctor says he will need it "eventually".
8 Answers
See a pediatric ophthalmologist.
If by a “squint” you mean a misalignment of the eyes, then you should take him to see a pediatric ophthalmologist ASAP. It’s not an emergency, but it is urgent the problem be taken care of very soon so his vision can develop normally. He may be at increased risk of developing a “lazy eye”. This can only be treated effectively if treatment is begun before the age of around 7. So take him to be seen SOON!
There are a lot of considerations before this question can be answered. Is the problem "cross eye" or "wall-eye?" Is it there all the time or sometimes? Is there evidence of "suppression" or "amblyopia?" In some cases, the surgery should not be delayed. In others, there are non-surgical treatments that can buy time until surgery is performed.
Agreed. Timing of surgery is dependent on the need for it. Try other measures first. See your doctor for review.
Simple question, complicated answer. Degree of strabismus, amblypia, eso or exo, other physical problems? At age 5, it is better to consider surgery to avoid school issues.
If the amount of the strabismus is very small, like under 10 prism diopters (5 degrees) for a horizontal deviation, then surgery usually is not performed. If larger than this amount, the surgery can be done as early as 6 months of age if you have good pediatric anesthesia. For vertical deviations, usually smaller amounts like 3-4 degrees in a patient can make the patient a surgical candidate.
The answer depends on a number of factors, and your pediatric ophthalmologist can address them best for you. However, in many cases, the sooner the better -- along with other adjunct measures that your pediatric ophthalmologist should explain when you have your son examined.
If your “doctor” is not a pediatric ophthalmologist, you need to change immediately and when the ped. Oph says the time is right for surgery, that is the right time
