Hi Kelly,

Surgery may be required to realign the eye muscles if strengthening techniques are unsuccessful. Risks for any surgery include bleeding and infection. But other possible complications of a strabismus repair surgery include:

* Wound infections
* Damage to the eye (rare)
* Eye continues to be out of place

Adults are usually awake or sleepy, but pain-free during a strabismus surgery. Often, in adult surgery, an adjustable suture will be used so that minor adjustments can be made later that day or the next day. This technique usually gives a very good result. After surgery, the eye will be red for a couple of days. The corrected eye alignment is usually immediate.

I'd suggest that you research as much as possible before making your decision. A good place to start would be the National Libaries of Medicine:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyedise ases.html

As an aside, you may want to look into the recent findings that link exotropia with mental illness in early adulthood. A study suggests that children with "exotropia type" strabismus may be at increased risk for developing mental illness by young adulthood. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fu llstory_71152.html

Thanks for your response. I appreciate the information. Do you know much more about the surgery? My surgeon has said that he gives me a 95% chance that he can fix this completely with one surgery for the rest of my life. I hope he is correct. My deviation only comes and goes but it'd be nice to have it gone all together. That is why I'm looking into surgery. The biggest question I have about the surgery, I guess, is if it means I won't have any more deviation ever again. I just have read it's hard to completely eliminate. But my surgeon says he can. And my other concern is it coming back. But he says he doesn't think it will. So that is optimistic!

I think that it's a fairly low risk and good return. No surgery can be 100% predictable, but I think that your odds of correction are pretty good. My sister has the surgery performed when she was 6 years old, and a recent colleague at 28 years old. You'll ultimately have to make the decision yourself. Keep asking questions until you're ready.

Thanks again. Is surgery a cure? Does it make the turn go away completely? Does your sister's eye/eyes ever turn now since surgery?

Yes, the surgery aligned her eye permanently.

@ lachickee

so did u went with the surgery? i have the same problem and same confusion lolz so need to know wat have u done abt it ?

I have not yet had the surgery. I will be seeing my ophthalmologist again in a few weeks so that I can ask him all of my questions. So your eye drifts out the way mine does? How is your vision?

i have intermittent exotropia. Initially in my childhood it was very rarely seen but during my teen age days it became very very prominent but now with some exercises and concentration it again very rarely seen my vision is perfect no issues regarding that just faces a little difficult in socializing still i do it alot (real problems were faced when i was doing A levels) anywayz r u on facebuk u can c me there my profile is

Cheers

Could somebody refer a really good surgeon for intermittent strabismus on the east coast. I would appreciate it.

I just had the surgery done on Friday. I went to see Dr. Dereck Hess in St. Petersburg FL. I have had 5 surgerys now since I was 7yrs old. I am now 27. They told me that I should grow out of it by adulthood but I did not. This last surgery was done because it was found that my migraines (2 a week) were being triggered from my exotropia. My brain has learned to "turn off" my left eye in order to not see double when I get tired. I do not regret getting the surgerys. And would definately recommend Dr. Hess to anyone. I have heard tht in some cases the surgery is a permanent fix but in my case it was not. As I grew and time went by the muscles got weaker and needed to be adjusted. Hope this helps.

Hey Liz Thanks for the info. Just wanted to ask how much the surgery costs and does insurance cover it?

I wrote about my own experience on another post which I will paste again below. I want to say too that everyone's experience is different and I'm not an expert here. I have read that most people with strabismus will need two to three surgeries during their lifetime. I've also read/heard that surgery often only fixes the problem cosmetically but not the underlying problem which is why you need more surgeries as your eyes go back to working the way they also have (the way your brain is wired.) Also that most mainstream doctors will suggest surgery even though this doesn't solve the underlying problem My doctor (see below) thinks that my early surgeries did more harm that good, causing my eyes to go from Esotropia (crossed eyes) to Exotropia - overcorrection - although these surgeries did take place more than 30 years ago and I would hope they're better done now. I am sure that each case is different and it probably depends on how severe your exotropia is and how long you've lived with it. Lachikee, it doesn't sound like the vision therapist you went to was very helpful! I would encourage you to try vision therapy again with someone more knowledgeable.

"Hi, I'm 44 years old and am finally correcting my strabismus. I had two operations (one at 4, another at 7) and while it fixed my eyes cosmetically (until several years ago when my right eye started to roam again) it didn't fix the fact that I was only using one eye when I focused on anything (my brain had learned to shut down my right eye as a child so that I wouldn't see double.) Basically when your eyes aren't pointed in the same direction your eyes aren't seeing the same image and so your brain learns how to just use one eye which of course encourages the other eye to get lazier. I started Vision Therapy with a doctor in Charlotte last October (driving two hours each way) and now not only have I learned how to switch both eyes on at the same time but bring the two separate images I see together so that they become one (I can do this pretty easily now close up, automatically and am getting better and better with longer distances; still working on depth/3D perception.) The most exciting thing is not that my eye look fine most of the time now cosmetically but that my brain at the age off 44 has learned how to use my eyes correctly again! Yes, it's been a big commitment financially and time-wise but well worth it! And it's not just about the eyes; my doctor who mostly works with children believes there is usually an emotional component as well and that being able to use both eyes helps with all kinds of things like decision making and trusting the world (after all if you can't trust what you see!) I encourage everyone with strabismus to embark on this amazing journey."

I am 37 and my right eye has always turned out. I am very self concious about it. I recently changed my eye doc and he suggested muscle surgery to correct this problem. I am very interested but I am a little scared about it. Does anyone have any advice or know anyone that has had this procedure done?? Please write me.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

I am 33 and I have had Exotropia all of my life. I am finally scheduled to for surgery on November 6th. Im really excited about it.

Im 17 and I have had this problem every since I was born. its a real nuisance. I have had 3 corrective surgeries all to no avail. I may try one more and see if it helps.