Vision therapy/orthoptics for strabismus [cross-eyedness]

Pet · 12-12-2008 6:21am #1

Anyone had any success with vision therapy [or even tracking down a vision therapist in Ireland] or orthoptics for cross-eyedness? Or other treatments that I may not have heard of? I'm becoming more and more cross-eyed, the optometrist diagnosed me with a shifting strabismus, which means I look dopey and cross-eyed half the time. Yay me.

Before my vision gets any worse, I'd like to do something about it. Hence the thread. Any responses are welcome.

johncollins · 28-01-2009 10:42pm

I don´t suppose you found anything no? I´ve been looking around myself and can find plenty in the UK and USA but nothing here. Typical....might be time to emigrate methinks.

Austin 3:16 · 15-02-2009 7:00pm

johncollins wrote: »

I don´t suppose you found anything no? I´ve been looking around myself and can find plenty in the UK and USA but nothing here. Typical....might be time to emigrate methinks.

I echo this, any luck?

gillsabill · 18-02-2009 12:58pm

I am an orthoptist so hopefully I can help you. There are Orthoptic Clinics through out Ireland attached to most of the larger hospitals. I'm not sure where you are located but in Dublin there are clinics in the Mater, Beaumont, the Eye and Ear, Tallaght, Temple st and Crumlin. Nearly all orthoptists have private clinics outside the public hospitals. You probably need to be under the care of an ophthalmologist also who specialises in motility problems/ squints. You can self refer yourself to an ophthalmologist privately (in Dublin try Mater Private, Bons Secour, Charlemont to name a few).
The normal pathway for someone presenting with your complaints pet would be:
Full ophthalmology exam, the right strength of glasses can make all the difference to your type of squint, too weak and the eyes turn in more of the time, too strong and your distance vision will blur. Sometimes the drops used to exam this in opticians don't reveal the full strength of the glasses required.
If your glasses are correct and the problem hasn't resolved the Opthalmologist will refer you to an orthoptist for exercises.
If exercises cannot fully resolve your symptoms you may be considered for surgery to correct the over convergence of your eyes.
Hope that helps!

Austin 3:16 · 18-02-2009 4:07pm

Thanks Gillsbill. I might ask you to elaborate on the possibilities regarding surgery. I've had this condition since I was about 4, I've worn the glasses, had the eyepatch etc and I also had surgery when I was 6. Basically I'm wondering is it too late, now at 23, to have a successful corrective surgery. To be honest with you I just want to fixed for cosmetic purposes, I ain't looking for 20/20 vision.
Is this a common procedure in Ireland (for adults)? What are the success rates? What are the inherent dangers? Where is the absolute best place to go in Ireland for such a surgery?

Thanks again

gillsabill · 18-02-2009 4:30pm

Hi Austin, hundreds of adults a year are having squint surgery for exactely the same reasons as you. Everyone is different though and your suitability would have to assessed on an individual basis. The main considerations would be:
Size of your remaining squint (below a certain threshold the risk of overcorrection may be too high)
Risk of double vision - this is not a concern when you're 6 because your brain can suppress double vision but is a common reason why some adults are not suitable for correction. This is easily assessed before surgery with prisms.
I'm assumming you used to wear longsighted glasses and residual longsightedness would need to be assessed because this impacts on the position of your eyes.
"I ain't looking for 20/20 vision" - surgery to straighten your eyes will have no impact on the clarity of your vision.
"Where is the absolute best place to go?" eh I have stronger affiliations with some of the places I listed before than others but to be honest with you they all have good reputations. All the of the consultants in these centres also work in the public sector and have huge experience with more complicated cases than yours. I'll pm you some phone numbers

caspermccormack · 06-05-2009 11:40pm

Hello gillsbill,

I had surgery on my squint about 10 years ago and it worked out great for me. However over time it had started to come back when my eyes got tired or relaxed after a few drinks. Can this surgery be done again?

Regards, Casper

gillsabill · 07-05-2009 2:53pm

Hi Casper more than likely you can get this done again.

caspermccormack · 07-05-2009 3:32pm

gillsabill wrote: »

Hi Casper more than likely you can get this done again.

Thanks for the reply, I attended the Eye and Ear, would you have a number to contact them there?

Thanks again.

pittsburgh · 20-01-2010 8:17pm

yea anyone else got surgery for a lazy eye? ive had once since i was 5 or 6, had patchs , drops and glasses etc nothing has done anything, trying to sort it out now as im in my 20s, has anyone had the surgery in ireland? any help on this would be great thx

caspermccormack · 21-01-2010 11:22am

Hello,

I had mine done again 8 months ago and after the first op back in 98 I was not looking forward to the recovery. I attented a consultant in the Mater private and had the op done in the Bon Secour's in Glassnevin, my health insurance took care of it. I was discharged the same day with very little pain and even less swelling than before. I would recommend this procedure to anyone and I would of paid for it if I had not got the insurance. Turn around time from my first phone call, till the op was 4 weeks. And the eyesight is back to perfect alignment. Hope this helps,

Anthony

BossArky · 25-02-2010 6:10am

I had surgery to correct mild strabismus approximately 9 months ago in London. Here is my account in case it helps anyone. If you want more info, send me a PM.

My problem was that one of the six muscles controlling my right eye was too strong and would pull the eye out of alignment ever so slightly when I got tired. This made reading things on a computer screen all day very tiring e.g. looking at a list of threads on boards.ie and not being able to line the title of the thread up with the last person who posted in it.

The solution was one of either the following:

wear clear glasses with a "3" strength prism for the rest of my life
have the surgery - short term pain, long term gain

The eye hospital required me to have approx 3 checks over a number of months to make sure the condition was stable. In the end they concluded that it was something I probably had from childhood and was just noticing it more now that I spend my life working on laptop/computer screens. Sometimes people develop strabismus when they get a knock on the head.

My eye sight was better than normal with the exception of the mild strabismus. You wouldn't have noticed it looking at me... only I noticed it when I got tired.

Once they were satisfied that I had no nerve or brain damage I was offered the chance of glasses or surgery. I opted for surgery.

Surgery involves turning up at the hospital at 8am, checking in, meeting the surgeon and having one last eye check to make sure everything is the same. They then put an arrow on your forehead pointing at the eye on which they are going to perform the surgery. It was a bit funny in the ward looking at the other people there, all with "insert brain here" type arrows on their foreheads

After a while I got dressed up in a gown and was walked down to the room where the anethesist (spelling) is there joking away whilst he puts you to sleep.

I woke up freezing cold and the first thing I said to the nurse was "where is my slipper?!". She found it and threw an extra blanket on me. I was wheeled upstairs and dozed for an hour or two as the injection wore off.

The right eye was covered with a patch and feeling tender. After a couple of hours I had a sandwich and cup of tea and winced everytime my right eye ball tried to move.

The surgeon came along and removed the patch. He got me to follow his hand as he explored my right eyes range of motion. This is sore as the eye is still tender. Your vision will also be double at this stage because your brain needs to recalibarate your two eyes to work together based upon the new balance of muscles.

Towards the end of the afternoon I was discharged and told to come back for a check up 2 weeks later. On the tube home I got some strange looks as my face was swollen and the white part of the eye was all red & bloodshot.

I spent two weeks off work at home recovering. The main swelling and soreness was gone after approx 5 days. The double vision gradually dissappeared and is now non existant unless I try to look straight up to the upper limits of my vision. Since I'm a normal office type person the chances that I will be looking up there on a daily basis are about 1 in 1000.... so for all purposes I am cured and happy. I can now work normally on the laptop/computer screen the whole day without the nuisance of eyes wandering and having to force them back together like last year.

I would recommend you have the surgery. It may seem daunting, but it saves you from worrying about glasses with prisms for the rest of your life.

lpool2k05 · 07-03-2010 2:47pm

Could you tell us of the costs involved to have this done?would it be worth travelling abroad or would i be better off getting it done in ireland?

BossArky · 22-03-2010 7:15am

It was free as I was living & working in the UK at the time. The NHS covered it.

CACHEY · 16-06-2011 8:41pm

gillsabill wrote: »

I am an orthoptist so hopefully I can help you. There are Orthoptic Clinics through out Ireland attached to most of the larger hospitals. I'm not sure where you are located but in Dublin there are clinics in the Mater, Beaumont, the Eye and Ear, Tallaght, Temple st and Crumlin. Nearly all orthoptists have private clinics outside the public hospitals. You probably need to be under the care of an ophthalmologist also who specialises in motility problems/ squints. You can self refer yourself to an ophthalmologist privately (in Dublin try Mater Private, Bons Secour, Charlemont to name a few).
The normal pathway for someone presenting with your complaints pet would be:
Full ophthalmology exam, the right strength of glasses can make all the difference to your type of squint, too weak and the eyes turn in more of the time, too strong and your distance vision will blur. Sometimes the drops used to exam this in opticians don't reveal the full strength of the glasses required.
If your glasses are correct and the problem hasn't resolved the Opthalmologist will refer you to an orthoptist for exercises.
If exercises cannot fully resolve your symptoms you may be considered for surgery to correct the over convergence of your eyes.
Hope that helps!

I am looking for information if orthoptists in Ireland use the Vision Therapy for squint correcttion. Do you think it will be effective in treating constant straismus?

Moonbeam · 21-06-2011 5:58pm

I am pretty short sighted but in my teens got referred to the eye and ear because my glasses strength changed suddenly.
I saw an optician and an ortoptist there and between them and specsavers got a new prescription.
I reckon it was because I didn't know what it was like to be able to see so if I could barely make out the end of the chart then I read it,it is a little scary in the begining being able to see well!
The orthoptist gave me stick on prisms for my glasses ,they look stupid but help them work out what you need.
I have a prism of 3 in both lenses now and will do forever but am not visibly cross eyed unless I am tired.
anyway my point is get a referal from your optician to the eye and ear and work from there:)

human repellent · 06-10-2011 4:44pm

Hi All.

I've struggled with this all my life.
I've got straismus. I've went for some consoltations with a dcotor in another county who basically fogged me off.

I'm looking to go for a consoltation in the mater private hospital, and hopefully have surgery to correct this, im 26 years of age.

I was told that the risk of my squint could leave me with double vision all this after a few drops had been issued.

I don't have health insurance but i can take it out easily as im back in full time employment, do you need to be insured for a certain amount of time before your heal insurance covers this.

human repellent · 10-10-2011 12:36am

human repellent wrote: »

Hi All.

I've struggled with this all my life.
I've got straismus. I've went for some consoltations with a dcotor in another county who basically fogged me off.

I'm looking to go for a consoltation in the mater private hospital, and hopefully have surgery to correct this, im 26 years of age.

I was told that the risk of my squint could leave me with double vision all this after a few drops had been issued.

I don't have health insurance but i can take it out easily as im back in full time employment, do you need to be insured for a certain amount of time before your heal insurance covers this.

Anyone have any answers on the above

Daemonic · 18-11-2011 2:00pm

human repellent wrote: »

Hi All.

I've struggled with this all my life.
I've got straismus. I've went for some consoltations with a dcotor in another county who basically fogged me off.

I'm looking to go for a consoltation in the mater private hospital, and hopefully have surgery to correct this, im 26 years of age.

I was told that the risk of my squint could leave me with double vision all this after a few drops had been issued.

I don't have health insurance but i can take it out easily as im back in full time employment, do you need to be insured for a certain amount of time before your heal insurance covers this.

Go to another doctor and request the referral. Ideally find an Ophthalmologist.

I've recently had surgery and the double vision isn't bad, mainly because i have very little vision in the eye operated on anyway so the brain is able to ignore it fairly easily. If you have decent vision in both eyes the brain adjustment will be greater.

Regarding insurance, it will be considered pre-existing condition so you need a minimum of 5 years prior cover for it to be covered. This doesn't have to be with the same insurer and if your most recent health insurance cover only expired in the last 6 months I think this gap in cover is ok.

Mike_Coza · 29-02-2012 3:34am

There are lots of vision therapy. But there's one natural vision correction that I've tried and results awesome. Before I was suffering an eye problem also. I had a myopia but after taking these natural vision correction within a past few weeks I noticed that my vision slowly clear. And now I can see much clearly. By the way here is the link if you want to try the natural vision correction that I've tried. http://bit.ly/HowGetRidOfYourGlasses Hope it helps.

Ellenc831 · 19-06-2016 9:48pm

Has anyone know the rough costs of having this procedure done privately. The public waiting list is tediously long.

Vision therapy/orthoptics for strabismus [cross-eyedness]

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