Strabismus or squint is when the visual axes of the eyes lose parallelism and look in different directions. It is common, affecting approximately 4% of children, but it can also develop in adults. In the presence of strabismus, one eye may look straight and at the desired location while the other eye may shift inward, outward, upward or downward. Eyes may shift alternately, or the same eye may shift continuously. While looking at the desired point with both eyes, these two images are combined in the visual center of the brain and perceived as a single and three-dimensional image. When the eye wanders, the brain will suppress the image coming from the shifted eye, as two different images will appear in the brain. This will cause a decrease in the sense of depth and the vision provided by both eyes. In adults, the complaint of double vision occurs because the image coming from the wandering eye can no longer be suppressed.
In the first few months of life, when vision development continues rapidly, searching movements of the eyes and short-term inward or outward shifts, that is, a few minutes, are normal. Although it is accepted, shifts that occur after the 4th month, when focusing on surrounding objects can be done, should definitely be consulted with a specialist ophthalmologist. In addition, a specialist ophthalmologist should be consulted as strabismus may manifest itself in cataracts, eye tumors or neurological diseases.
The exact cause of strabismus is unknown. Functional, neurological or muscular structural disorders and imbalance cause slippage. Imbalances in the muscles that move the eyes, diseases such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hydrocephalus that affect the brain centers that control these muscles, or conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma or trauma that affect the eyes can disrupt the parallelism of the eyes and cause misalignment. The first sign of misalignment is that the eyes do not focus on the same point. However, symptoms such as closing one eye in the sun, tilting or turning the head, may also be the result of a shift. In adult cases, the most important complaint is double vision. Every child during infancy or preschool period should be examined for possible eye problems (such as strabismus, amblyopia, refractive errors or cataracts, intraocular tumors). However, in children, the root of the nose is wide and there is no deviation. However, in cases of what we call false strabismus, which causes the appearance of misalignment, the appearance of misalignment improves over time with the development of the nasal bone. This wrongly suggests that the slippage has corrected. In such cases, an ophthalmologist should be seen for differential diagnosis and correct diagnosis. Additionally, if there are people in the family with strabismus or amblyopia, the child should be seen to an ophthalmologist at the age of 1-2. Apart from this, every child should have an eye examination until the age of 3. Our aim in the treatment is to ensure the development of both eyes by using them together without negatively affecting vision development. After a detailed eye examination, treatment is planned according to the cause of the vision. If there is an accompanying refractive error for treatment, the deviation can be corrected by wearing glasses. Ensuring the parallelism of the eyes through surgery will enable the use of both eyes together and gain a sense of depth. Surgical intervention is not performed with laser, the position of the eye is adjusted by changing the location of the muscles around the eye. - The earlier the strabismus treatment is performed, the higher the success. However, in adults with strabismus or those who have not received treatment before, surgical treatment can provide an increase in peripheral vision.
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