Strabismus Surgery

When some of muscles are too weak or strong, it may lead to incorrect movement of eyeball. Such phenomenon is called “strabismus”. Although in some cases this is the problem from aesthetic standpoint only, usually this condition affects vision. Find out how dangerous strabismus is, and where you can get professional help.

What is strabismus? It’s a certain ocular medical condition connected with an incorrect eyeball positioning. A human eye has six muscles that control its movements. If a muscle is weakened or strengthened, it causes different problems: an eye can turn in or out, or rotate slowly or too quickly. That looks unnatural and sometimes affects social communication, because a person with such diagnosis is likely to avoid visual contact.

If cranial nerve dysfunction takes place, weak muscles also cause misalignment – asymmetrical movement or position of eye balls.

Strabismus symptoms

Together with abnormal eye position, this condition can also be characterized by:

• asymmetry of corneal light reflex location;
• diplopia;
• poor perception of 3D;
• visual confusion;
• unnatural head posture;
• one eye closes at sunlight.

Adult strabismus is also characterized by seeing double picture: if condition develops over time, brain cannot ignore the picture from misaligning eye.

Causes of strabismus

Lots of factors can promote the condition. Baby strabismus is typically conditioned by esotropia, prematurity, refractive problems, different genetic symptoms and cerebral disorders. Other strabismus causes may include non-correctable cases of bad vision, craniofacial disorder, neuromuscular disorders, amblyopia, and cranial nerve palsies.

Methods of diagnosis

There are a huge number of techniques helping to define strabismus and its severity. Tests for strabismus may include cover testing, Hirschberg test, and retinal scanning. Strabismus in newborn babies who cannot fix eyes on intent is stated by screening.

Modern methods of diagnosis also allow defining certain types of condition. For instance, concomitant strabismus (when magnitude of misalignment varies), bilateral strabismus, paralytic strabismus, internal strabismus, etc.

Strabismus treatment

Correction of mild strabismus is aimed at providing comfortable, trouble-free vision. Glasses help to relieve symptoms and correct vistion. Lazy eye syndrome (strabismic amblyopia) is helped by a patch, but it does not correct eye angle, only helping to improve work of muscle. When reasons of misalignment are serious, surgery is necessary.

Strabismus surgery: peculiarities and advantages

Operation is aimed at aligning the eyes by lengthening, cutting, or modifying position of one eye muscle. Surgery requires anesthesia and takes 1-2 hours, and recovery lasts about a week or two. In most cases, one procedure is not enough to finish muscle correction, as eye may restore its position. Thus, adjustable muscle sutures are made in early recovery period to align eyes properly.

In adults, muscle surgery has not only cosmetic effect. Together with reconstructing normal eye appearance, it also:

• improves depth perception;
• boosts binocular vision;
• minimizes double vision;
• helps focusing and sustaining visual contact.

Modern methods of muscle correction

Today, advanced technologies and methods allow making a few corrections and performing operations on eyeball quickly. A patient is given local or general anesthesia (general is preferable as it helps defining initial position more accurately). Eyelids are gently open and help by lid speculum, conjunctiva is cut to strengthen or weaken a muscle of eye. When surgery is over, a series of adjustable sutures of muscles is done in the first hours and days after surgery. Up-to-date suture methods include:

1. Dissolvable sutures that change action of muscles.
2. Trimmed pole sutures with ends hidden under conjunctiva. Allows making adjustments during the week after operation.
3. Cul-de-sac incision is fast, may be done with local anesthesia and suture with knot are buried.

Advantages of German clinics

If you want to make an operation, German Medical Group may offer a suitable clinic and experienced doctor to treat your problem thoroughly. Why surgery in Germany is better?

1. Strabismus surgery cost is about 20-40% cheaper than in the USA. Besides, you can save on airplane tickets. Just compare: flights within Europe cost about $100, while flying to New York is worth at least $500.
2. We figure out a suitable place for eye muscle surgery, and arrange visits to doctors quickly. A patient gets help rapidly.
3. No Visa is required for a patient to enter Germany.
4. All doctors know English, a patient doesn’t need to hire an entrepreneur to contact with them.
5. German medicine uses the newest, advanced methods and mild anesthesia that shorten recovery periods, decrease number of postoperational sutures and guarantee high success rate.