Strabismus (lazy eye correction) treatment in Turkey 2024

Causes of strabismus

Strabismus can be associated with visual defects or serious eye diseases. The main causes of these defects include:

• Genetic factors.
• Ocular disorders such as cataracts and ptosis.
• Optical refractive errors.
• Paralysis of one of the eye muscles.

In children, strabismus may be caused by incorrect refractive errors or hyperopia, resulting in convergent strabismus.

Reduced central vision in one eye (amblyopia or lazy eye) is another common cause of strabismus, usually resulting in divergent strabismus. In addition, strabismus may be present from birth and is known as congenital strabismus, but is not associated with other ocular changes.

Strabismus types

There are three types of strabismus, which are:

• Convergent strabismus or esotropia (the ocular globe is deflected inwards).
• Divergent strabismus (the ocular globe is deflected outwards).
• Vertical strabismus (the ocular globe is deflected upwards or downwards).

Effects of squinting on vision

Strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes, disrupts the normal coordination of binocular vision. This anomaly results in uneven stimulation of the corresponding retinal points, causing confusion in the brain.

Double vision and image suppression

The misaligned eye, looking at a different object than the right eye, transmits a disparate image to the brain. This disparity causes double vision (diplopia),which is often very annoying. To get rid of it, the brain sets up a mechanism to suppress the image from the misaligned eye.

Amblyopia: Loss of vision in one eye

This permanent suppression of the image from the misaligned eye has harmful consequences for visual development. Without adequate stimulation, the strabismic eye is unable to develop its visual acuity properly. This visual deficiency can lead to amblyopia, an irreversible visual weakness of the affected eye, even if its anatomical structure is normal.

Loss of depth perception

Binocular vision is essential for depth perception because it allows the brain to calculate the distance between objects based on the slight difference in perspective between the two eyes. Strabismus disrupts this process, which can lead to difficulties in judging distances and moving in space.

Head misalignment

The child may tilt or rotate the head to compensate for eye misalignment, which can cause neck pain and postural problems.

Treatment options of strabismus in Turkey

The treatment of strabismus in adults and children is aimed at restoring vision and binocular function in both eyes. This includes correcting the misalignment of the eyes and optimizing visual perception.

The steps involved in the treatment of strabismus in Turkey include:

Optical correction

Optical correction is based on :

• Eyeglasses : Prescription of appropriate eyeglasses is often the first step in treatment. They correct refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism) and stimulate binocular vision.
• Contact lenses: In some cases, contact lenses may be an alternative to glasses. Lenses should be inserted immediately after the refractive error is identified. In fact, the use of lenses in many cases helps to improve visual acuity, influence the accommodative convergence ratio and reduce ocular aberrations.

The surgery

The goal of strabismus surgery is to realign the eye muscles so that both eyes focus at the same time.

The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia in children and local anesthesia in adults.

During surgery, the surgeon either weakens or strengthens certain eye muscles, depending on the most appropriate technique for each case.

Adult strabismus treatment

Adult strabismus may be due to neglected childhood strabismus, late recurrence, presbyopia, visual fatigue, or ocular muscle paralysis.

Treatment is similar to that for children and may include glasses, botulinum toxin ("Botox") injections and surgery.

Double vision is common after surgery in adults and may require orthoptic exercises or Prizmatic glasses to correct.

Pediatric strabismus treatment

The earlier treatment is initiated, the better the long-term visual prognosis. In cases of essential infantile esotropia, surgery may be considered as early as two years of age.

Benefits of pediatric strabismus surgery include:

• Improved binocular vision and depth perception
• Reduced eye fatigue and headaches
• Improved social and emotional development

In Turkey, patients have access to state-of-the-art clinics and hospitals that provide quality strabismus treatment by experienced ophthalmologists.