Subscribe
Strabismus
Can strabismic amblyopia be cured after adulthood?
Strabismic amblyopia is one of the most common types of amblyopia, and it cannot be cured if the patient is already an adult. The formation of amblyopia is due to abnormal development of the retinal function in childhood, which leads to the patient experiencing reduced vision. Patients with strabismus have non-parallel visual lines of both eyes, which causes them to see inconsistent images, thus forming double images. This will make the brain suppress the vision of one eye to eliminate the symptoms of double images. The development of the retina in the suppressed eye will be abnormal, resulting in amblyopia. Treatment needs to be carried out before the age of 12 by covering the eye with better vision, and then conducting amblyopia training to stimulate the development of the retinal function of the weaker eye, thereby gradually improving vision. Subsequently, strabismus corrective surgery is used to treat strabismus, restoring the eyes' visual lines to a parallel state. After adulthood, as the development of retinal function has stopped, amblyopia can no longer be treated.
Does strabismus diplopia occur in the early stages or later stages?
Patients with strabismus often exhibit symptoms of double vision in the early stages of the condition. Strabismus is a common ophthalmologic disease characterized by non-parallel visual directions of the eyes and uncoordinated eyeball movements. When one eye looks straight ahead at a target, the visual direction of the other eye may deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be further divided into types such as esotropia, exotropia, and vertical strabismus. Due to the inconsistent visual directions of both eyes in strabismus patients, the scenes viewed by each eye are different. The brain cannot merge the different views from both eyes, resulting in the appearance of double vision symptoms. The more severe the symptoms of strabismus, the more pronounced the symptoms of double vision typically are, and strabismus can be treated surgically to eliminate symptoms.
Why does closing one eye correct strabismus?
When a patient with strabismus closes one eye, the other deviated eye automatically returns to the correct position, which is a normal phenomenon. Strabismus refers to the direction of the eyes' gaze not being parallel; when one eye is looking straight ahead at a target, the gaze of the other eye will deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be classified into several types such as esotropia (inward deviation), exotropia (outward deviation), and vertical strabismus. When one eye is covered, the originally deviated eye will move to the correct position to clearly see the target directly in front; however, the covered eye will then exhibit deviation. Therefore, strabismus is not eliminated but merely appears from an external perspective that the deviated eye has returned to its normal position. To completely eliminate the symptoms of strabismus, surgery is required for correction.
Will strabismus worsen if it is not treated?
Strabismus, if not treated, can potentially deteriorate over time. Strabismus is a common ocular disease, often caused by congenital developmental anomalies or external injuries to the eye, leading to misaligned visual axes. It can affect the appearance of the patient and may lead to complications such as amblyopia, as well as symptoms like double vision. Currently, surgery is the primary treatment method. The operation adjusts the position of the eye muscles' attachments and alters the tension of the eye muscles, thereby restoring the normal positional relationship between the eyes and aligning their visual axes. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for an in-person examination and undergo comprehensive strabismus testing to determine the specific surgical plan. Without treatment, the degree of strabismus may continue to increase, leading to a worsening of symptoms.
Can strabismus be redone if it recurs?
After strabismus surgery, if the eye alignment is still incorrect, reoperation should be considered only after six months. Additionally, one should consider the uncorrected visual acuity, corrected visual acuity, eye movement, and the condition of the eye muscles to determine whether the issue is due to refractive errors or eye muscle paralysis. Reoperation must be approached with caution. The primary cause of strabismus is an issue with the eye muscles, and this can lead to various eye diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct thorough ophthalmological examinations and pay attention to the eye movement and the condition of the binocular vision system.
Can strabismus undergo laser myopia surgery?
If it is an adult with strabismus who also has myopia, it should be considered on a case-by-case basis whether myopia surgery is appropriate. For alternating strabismus, myopia surgery might be considered, but generally, it is not recommended. Since strabismus can cause many problems for the eyes, such as inappropriate positioning of the eyeballs during movement, which can easily lead to diplopia or monocular vision, causing issues like double images or binocular vision dysfunction, meaning there is no stereo vision. Patients with strabismus should first undergo strabismus surgery, then consider myopia surgery.
Can strabismus and myopia be treated at the same time?
Surgery for strabismus and myopia cannot be performed at the same time. Strabismus involves surgery to adjust the eye muscles. There are two surgical methods for myopia: one is corneal laser ablation surgery, and the other is ACL surgery. Myopia surgery mainly requires stable vision, the patient must be over 18 years old, have a strong desire to stop wearing glasses, and have a clear diagnosis from examinations, then surgery can be considered. Strabismus must be classified; early stage paralytic strabismus is generally not advised for surgery. Concomitant strabismus may be treated surgically. If there is also refractive error, dilated refraction and prescription glasses should also be considered.
Will strabismus get worse if not operated on?
Strabismus left untreated may either worsen or remain stable. Strabismus is a common eye condition where the eyes do not look in the same direction. When one eye looks directly at an object, the other eye may be misaligned. Depending on the direction of the misalignment, strabismus can be classified into different types such as esotropia, exotropia, and hypertropia. Moreover, based on the different causes of strabismus, it can be divided into accommodative strabismus, paralytic strabismus, concomitant strabismus, and restrictive strabismus. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for a comprehensive strabismus examination to diagnose the specific type of strabismus, and then receive the corresponding treatment to improve symptoms. For example, accommodative strabismus can be corrected with glasses to adjust refractive errors, thereby eliminating the symptoms of strabismus, while non-accommodative strabismus may require surgical treatment for a cure.
Does strabismus require dilated refraction?
Strabismus also requires dilated refraction to investigate the causes and characteristics of refractive errors, which include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and amblyopia. Additionally, it could be related to other eye conditions. Strabismus in adolescents is mostly caused by amblyopia and sometimes congenital issues. If strabismus is solely due to refractive errors, it can typically be corrected gradually through dilated refraction and proper eyeglass fitting. However, congenital strabismus generally requires surgical treatment. Therefore, it is quite necessary to perform dilated refraction again in cases of strabismus.
Do both eyes undergo strabismus surgery at the same time?
Whether strabismus surgery is performed on one eye or both eyes at the same time depends on the degree of strabismus, the condition of the dominant eye, and the nature of the strabismus, such as concomitant strabismus, paralytic strabismus, etc. It needs to be decided whether one eye or both eyes should be operated on. If the degree is quite severe, operating on the muscles of one eye may not resolve the issue, and it might be necessary to operate on the muscles of the other eye as well. However, a maximum of three rectus muscles can be operated on in one eye at the same time. Operating on more can lead to some complications. Therefore, whether to operate on one eye or both eyes should be determined based on the patient's actual condition.