Will strabismus get worse if not operated on?

Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 06, 2024
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Strabismus left untreated may either worsen or remain stable. Strabismus is a common eye condition where the eyes do not look in the same direction. When one eye looks directly at an object, the other eye may be misaligned. Depending on the direction of the misalignment, strabismus can be classified into different types such as esotropia, exotropia, and hypertropia. Moreover, based on the different causes of strabismus, it can be divided into accommodative strabismus, paralytic strabismus, concomitant strabismus, and restrictive strabismus. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for a comprehensive strabismus examination to diagnose the specific type of strabismus, and then receive the corresponding treatment to improve symptoms. For example, accommodative strabismus can be corrected with glasses to adjust refractive errors, thereby eliminating the symptoms of strabismus, while non-accommodative strabismus may require surgical treatment for a cure.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Will strabismus worsen if it is not treated?

Strabismus, if not treated, can potentially deteriorate over time. Strabismus is a common ocular disease, often caused by congenital developmental anomalies or external injuries to the eye, leading to misaligned visual axes. It can affect the appearance of the patient and may lead to complications such as amblyopia, as well as symptoms like double vision. Currently, surgery is the primary treatment method. The operation adjusts the position of the eye muscles' attachments and alters the tension of the eye muscles, thereby restoring the normal positional relationship between the eyes and aligning their visual axes. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for an in-person examination and undergo comprehensive strabismus testing to determine the specific surgical plan. Without treatment, the degree of strabismus may continue to increase, leading to a worsening of symptoms.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Why does closing one eye correct strabismus?

When a patient with strabismus closes one eye, the other deviated eye automatically returns to the correct position, which is a normal phenomenon. Strabismus refers to the direction of the eyes' gaze not being parallel; when one eye is looking straight ahead at a target, the gaze of the other eye will deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be classified into several types such as esotropia (inward deviation), exotropia (outward deviation), and vertical strabismus. When one eye is covered, the originally deviated eye will move to the correct position to clearly see the target directly in front; however, the covered eye will then exhibit deviation. Therefore, strabismus is not eliminated but merely appears from an external perspective that the deviated eye has returned to its normal position. To completely eliminate the symptoms of strabismus, surgery is required for correction.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
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Do both eyes undergo strabismus surgery at the same time?

Whether strabismus surgery is performed on one eye or both eyes at the same time depends on the degree of strabismus, the condition of the dominant eye, and the nature of the strabismus, such as concomitant strabismus, paralytic strabismus, etc. It needs to be decided whether one eye or both eyes should be operated on. If the degree is quite severe, operating on the muscles of one eye may not resolve the issue, and it might be necessary to operate on the muscles of the other eye as well. However, a maximum of three rectus muscles can be operated on in one eye at the same time. Operating on more can lead to some complications. Therefore, whether to operate on one eye or both eyes should be determined based on the patient's actual condition.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Can strabismic amblyopia be cured after adulthood?

Strabismic amblyopia is one of the most common types of amblyopia, and it cannot be cured if the patient is already an adult. The formation of amblyopia is due to abnormal development of the retinal function in childhood, which leads to the patient experiencing reduced vision. Patients with strabismus have non-parallel visual lines of both eyes, which causes them to see inconsistent images, thus forming double images. This will make the brain suppress the vision of one eye to eliminate the symptoms of double images. The development of the retina in the suppressed eye will be abnormal, resulting in amblyopia. Treatment needs to be carried out before the age of 12 by covering the eye with better vision, and then conducting amblyopia training to stimulate the development of the retinal function of the weaker eye, thereby gradually improving vision. Subsequently, strabismus corrective surgery is used to treat strabismus, restoring the eyes' visual lines to a parallel state. After adulthood, as the development of retinal function has stopped, amblyopia can no longer be treated.

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Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
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Does strabismus diplopia occur in the early stages or later stages?

Patients with strabismus often exhibit symptoms of double vision in the early stages of the condition. Strabismus is a common ophthalmologic disease characterized by non-parallel visual directions of the eyes and uncoordinated eyeball movements. When one eye looks straight ahead at a target, the visual direction of the other eye may deviate. Based on the direction of deviation, strabismus can be further divided into types such as esotropia, exotropia, and vertical strabismus. Due to the inconsistent visual directions of both eyes in strabismus patients, the scenes viewed by each eye are different. The brain cannot merge the different views from both eyes, resulting in the appearance of double vision symptoms. The more severe the symptoms of strabismus, the more pronounced the symptoms of double vision typically are, and strabismus can be treated surgically to eliminate symptoms.