What Is The Purpose Of Eye Muscle Surgery?

: Admin : 2022-05-24

Eye muscle surgery is performed to address strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) or nystagmus (eye wiggling).

• Moving one or more of the eye muscles to change the position of the eye or eyes is part of the procedure.
• General anesthetic is required for eye muscle surgery in order to put your child to sleep throughout the operation.
• There are essential restrictions for eating and drinking that must be observed in the hours before surgery while using general anesthesia.
• Depending on the kind of eye muscle surgery your child requires, the procedure might last anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Anesthesia recovery might take many hours.

What Is the Purpose of Eye Muscle Surgery?

• Eye muscle surgery is used to cure strabismus and/or nystagmus, two of the most prevalent pediatric eye issues.
• Strabismus (stra-BIZZ-muss) is an eye condition in which the eyes are misaligned, causing them to point in opposite directions. One eye may be directed straight ahead, while the other may be directed inward, outward, upward, or below. Both eyes are sometimes affected. Strabismus affects around 5% of children and is sometimes known as "cross eyed" or "wall eyed."
• Nystagmus (night-STAG-muss) is an eye condition that causes the eyes to move involuntarily (unintentionally) or "wiggle." It generally affects both eyes and is more noticeable when the eyes are gazing in one direction. Nystagmus may impair vision and is often associated with strabismus and amblyopia (am-blee-OH-pee-uh), commonly known as lazy eye.
• Eye muscle surgery is undertaken to realign misaligned eyes. The eyes may be crossed or have a tendency to move out, in, or up. The kind and extent of surgery will be determined by the child's measurements taken in the office.
• Although eye muscle surgery is not a cure for nystagmus, it may aid children with nystagmus by enhancing their visual function and correcting the way they position their heads to look.
• The eye is structured like a grape, and the muscles wrap around the exterior like elastic bands. Eye muscle surgery is separating and reattaching the muscles to a different location on the eye.
• The treatment will take place in an operating room, and the youngster will be sleeping throughout. Your child will not experience any discomfort throughout the treatment and will be closely watched by physicians and nurses.
• An IV will be put after your kid has fallen asleep to administer fluids and drugs.
• To keep the eye open, a tiny device called an eyelid speculum is used, and a small incision (or opening) is created on the transparent covering of the white area of the eye. The muscles may be separated and reattached to the eye via this aperture. The transparent covering is then sewn shut using self-dissolving stitches. At no point throughout the procedure is the eyeball removed or any incisions made on the skin or face.

After the Surgery

• When your child is released from the hospital, he or she may still be sleepy and should rest for the remainder of the day.
• Your child may have a patch on one eye that the surgeon may need to remove the following day.
• Because of the incisions and sutures, your child's eyes may be uncomfortable for 1 or 2 days following surgery. To alleviate the pain, offer your youngster Tylenol.
• The corners of your child's eyes will be crimson. This color might range from pale pink to bright red. This is common and may linger for up to 2-3 weeks.
• For 1-2 days, your child may experience pink or blood-tinged tears. These pink tears are quite natural.
• Your child may complain of scratchiness or the sensation that something is in his or her eye. This sensation is typical and might linger for up to 2-3 weeks, but it will pass.
• For approximately a week or two following the procedure, your child's eyesight may be fuzzy or doubled. This is a typical hazy vision. When the brain catches up with the changes in the eye, your child's eyesight will begin to improve.

When Should You Consult a Surgeon?

The following symptoms should be taken seriously:

• Infection symptoms include increased or changing ocular discharge to green or yellow.
• Loss of vision
• Pain that has gotten worse
• Swelling that has gotten worse
• Fever higher than 100 degrees F
• Uncontrollable nausea and vomiting