Squint Eye??

[*EJ*]

My DS1 had an eye specialist appt today and his opinion is that the turn in my DS's eye will need to be operated on.

He called it squint eye. DS's eyes have been tested and he does not need glasses which is a positive thing but the turn does need to be corrected.

I've had a google to see what i can find out but is there anyone who has had personal expereince with this procedure at all?

I will do anything needed to correct the issue for DS but i am very nervous about him even needing any kind of procedure at all in the first place

I almost cried when i was told he needed surgery

Any advice, or stories from expereince would be appreciated. Thank you

[Charlotte91]

No advice, just massive massive hugs.

[krysalyss]

Yes I had mine corrected as a young kid and my niece is also getting the same soon. I think it is just day surgery for her but as a kid I remember being in hospital for ages (but it probably wasn't so long really). I think it is pretty common but you may also want to try a behavioural optometrist as they have exercises that may help.

[Little Chicken]

I had bilateral squints that we're fixed when I was 18 months. Don't remember a thing about it! Bu it did stop me permenantly contemplating my nose. I have also seen the procedure done, as far as I remember it was relatively quick.

[*EJ*]

Thanks Charlotte This is a bit of the mummy (being a parent) side of things that i was not prepared for. I'm sure all will be fine but a little nervous at the moment.

ETA: Thanks ladies.

krysalyss, i think the turn is pretty prominent but i could look into possible exercises. The specialist i saw today wasn't too forth coming with info just wanted to refer me on the the surgeon, i have an appt for May next year.

Little Chicken thanks, it's good to know that it's a relatively quick procedure.

Like is said to Charlotte, i just wasn't prepared for this though.

[black_rose]

With dd1 hers is being corrected with glasses until she is 8 or 9 and then it will hopefully correct itself if not we will look at surgery. Her eye turns in, if glasses hadn't made a difference straight away she would have had surgery already. When her glasses are off she has trouble seeing close up. A friend's daughter had surgery as her eye was turning up and in.

[krysalyss]

Hey EJ, no worries. I just remember that a behavioural optometrist posted here once and said that surgery is mostly cosmetic but that he felt they could use fix the underlying problem. But I don't know much personally and he may have just been talking about certain conditions. But as it is non-invasive it probably wouldn't hurt to look into it.

[*EJ*]

I've been having more of a read on the internet.

DS's turning is intermitant i think and there was mention of this not necessarily needing surgery (on one particular website).

DH came home from work and said one of the guys he works with daughter has a very noticable turning (moreso than DS) and she is on a course of drops for two years. He wants to get a second opinion.

The website i found was promoting a form of 'eyerobics'. You buy dvds that show you how to do the exercises. I'm not about to go out and buy random things off the internet but i'm really unsure how sucessfull i'd be in getting a 4yr old to do them anyway if i wanted to try and take that approach.

How do i go about getting a second opinion? As i said i have no expereince with this at all. Do i get a referal to another specialist? The appt i have for May will include a whole lot of other tests so i don't know that this dr will straight away say surgery, but hopefuly she'll be a little easier to get some constructive infomation from.

I do want to sort this out in the best way i can find how for the benifit of my son though. He's not starting school until 2013, i'd love to have it sorted out for him to avoid any self-esteme issues.

[black_rose]

We see Wendy Marshman in Malvern she is an ophthalmologist who specializes in children, she also does surgery so maybe see if you can get a referral to get a second opinion? She has been great in making sure we avoid surgery, I know she uses patches and glasses if the kids can't do the excercises.

[*EJ*]

Thanks Black_rose, we've been referred to Sue Carden in Bentleigh. I'll look up Wendy Marshman, thank you

[*EJ*]

We've had a phone call as there was a cancelation and we were up there in priority for any available. So we now see the surgeon in March. Not too sure why we would be up on the cancelation list. Maybe because of his age? He's just turned 5

[black_rose]

It probably is because of his age, I was told with dd if there are any changes to ring and we would get in on the first cancellation.