Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Four Year Old Surgery?

46 replies

confusedmamabear · 07/02/2017 12:22

Sorry for posting here, it's for traffic mainly! This may be a bit long but please read...

My daughter has a long distance extropia (her right eye veers of into the outer corner when she tries to see something in the distance, it also happens when she cries or the sun is out). She is only 4 bless her.

Anyway, we've been seeing the Ophthalmologist since last year and they have been keeping an eye on things, we went to an appointment yesterday and were told that although her vision seems fine at the moment, her extropia is pretty prominent and goes quite far out when it happens, like sometimes her eye is almost white! So.... we've been given some options and to be honest, I don't know what to do for the best!

1st option - try special glasses which could help control the extropia but could make her shortsighted and not work at all. If it did work, she'd likely need glasses for the rest of her life.

2nd option - corrective surgery, weaken one eye and tighten the other, high chance it would repair the extropia and all this would be over for her. Her sight would be unaffected too. However, this involves a general anaesthetic Sad

So, i am currently battling with myself as I don't know what to do. I don't want to put her through surgery at such a young age (and especially anaesthetic) but then again, she would likely not remember it being so young, it could save her vision and also I do worry that in high school she might be bullied for her eye going lazy so it could perhaps protect her from that too. On the other hand, the glasses may help but would she thank me in years to come for basically choosing to impair her vision and succumb her to glasses for the rest of her life and she still has the extropia when I had the chance to possibly cure her when she was younger?

Grrrr! WWYD? Sad

OP posts:
Madcats · 07/02/2017 21:06

As somebody who makes do with a short-sighted dominant eye, I would go for surgery for a DC with little hesitation.

When she was almost 3, DD needed surgery on her throat (so a General anaesthetic, overnight stay etc). Doing nothing wasn't really a kind option. DD has little, if any, memory of it (apart from a small scar and a certificate!).

Yes you will worry, but ask lots of questions and get somebody to explain what they will do before your dd gets her anaesthetic (so you can try to act as if it is all completely normal).

It will make such a difference.

probablygrumpy · 07/02/2017 21:09

This is my area of work.

Do the surgery she won't remember and will be so glad of it when she's older. The surgery as an adult isn't great. In the same way tonsil removal is far better in as a kid.

She won't have to go through high school with her noticeable squint (which will often worsen when tired or had a few drinks) and avoid all photos when she's older.

You sound like a super caring mum and the surgery will be stressful for you but she'll fly through xx

UserOO7 · 07/02/2017 21:15

Surgery! My sister has had so so much heartache from a squint that wasn't picked up, and that includes ops that keep failing as she's developed single eye dominance which keeps resulting in the turn coming back

Original poster
confusedmamabear · 07/02/2017 22:46

Thank you madcats, probablygrumpy and user007 FlowersFlowersFlowers

So reassuring seeing all of these messages, it's made me feel so much better about the whole thing, I mustn't let my fear get in the way of things, I need to think of her in the long run....

OP posts:
booellesmum · 07/02/2017 23:03

www.squintclinic.com
This is a really good website that may answer some of your questions.

Original poster
confusedmamabear · 08/02/2017 09:15

Thank you booellesmum Flowers

OP posts:
BigFatBollocks · 08/02/2017 09:33

Hi op,
My little boy had surgery in November, he was four (this type of surgery is better done under 5). I did it for when he's older as I didn't want him to be teased. His started as a baby when tired and got progressively worse until it was visable all the time. When it came to signing the paperwork I got really panicky!! Questioned myself but I was reassured by all the doctors that it is rare for anything to go wrong. So I did it. His eye is 100% better. He didn't have a clue what surgery actually entailed (I never told him the nitty gritty, just that they were going to fix his eye). Also, if he needs to go for surgery on I again (muscles can relax a bit) it'll be no big deal coz he's already done it iuswim.

Go for it!! Good luck.

Ps once he'd gone under I went to the waiting area and sobbed (managed to hold it together till then) Grin

Original poster
confusedmamabear · 08/02/2017 09:58

Bigfat- that is sooooo reassuring, thank you Flowers I think me and DH have made our minds up now, I think we are going to opt for surgery....

OP posts:
tinyterrors · 08/02/2017 12:05

With such a good predicted outcome I'd definitely go for surgery. It will be harder for you than for your dd.

My dd has had a general anaesthetic twice before she was 6 and my niece has had several and will have to have more before she's 7. I had surgery when I was 4 and don't remember a thing about the anaesthetic itself, just the horrid taste of the pre med which thankfully dd and dn haven't had to have. It's scary for us but they don't remember a thing about it, though as pp said they can be a bit disorientated when they first come round but have no memory of it after.

You're doing the best thing. As pp have said surgery like this is best done asap for the best results.

mumblebees · 28/05/2017 16:59

Thank you tiny, we have decided to go ahead with surgery and will be meeting with the specialists in August. Thank you all for your fabulous advice! No doubt I'll be back on this thread on the day of surgery in a hot mess!

mumblebees · 28/05/2017 17:00

Oh, I've namechanged by the way! I was formally confusedmama

Blackfellpony · 28/05/2017 17:03

Glad your doing it OP.

I had bilateral surgery for squints as a young child. I can't remember it but thank my mother so much as I would have been so self conscious of something so obvious.

Iamastonished · 28/05/2017 17:05

Surgery. By the age of 4 DD had already had 8 general anaesthetics and has been absolutely fine.

mumblebees · 28/05/2017 17:05

Blackpony that's reassuring, thanks for sharing Flowers

BringOnTheScience · 28/05/2017 17:06

My DC1 had surgery for their squint and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if needed. I wish that my parents had made the same decision, as my squint wasn't treated properly and I've been left with a lazy eye.

The surgery itself was very straightforward. Following day off school simply as an infection risk reduction measure.

mumblebees · 28/05/2017 22:59

Really reassuring, thanks everyone Smile

CowParsleyNettle · 28/05/2017 23:10

My two year old fell over last month, splitting his chin, due to being small and uncooperative they had no option but to give him a GA as trying to stitch a moving toddler would be dangerous.

Hospital were AMAZING, we talked about it in the car on the way there (we only had 9 hours notice), he loved the 'magic cream' on his hands and the fact he was allowed to watch CBBC on TV and had lots of toys to play with. He met all the team and a lady came with an ipad with a photo story of what was going to happen, he was a little young to understand but at four that would be great.

He LOVED going on the 'car bed' to surgery and the hospital have a fun game of things to spot on the way. When we arrived the anesthetist handed me a tablet computer with a silly game on (a burping cat) and we held that over his hand so he couldn't see the cannula being inserted, he had a slight yelp as the drugs went in but then went to sleep, I was given directions to the coffee shop and told they would call in a couple of hours.

He had a bit of a wobble when he woke up but was being cuddled by a nurse when I arrived, we had half an hour of confused crying afterwards but then the nurse arrived with biscuits and I managed to find something on youtube on my phone he wanted to watch. After than first half an hour he was back to normal, wanted to stay in the play room all day!

He was thrilled to find that whilst he had been asleep his cuddly dog had also had an operation and was covered in special plasters and wearing a 'doctors hat' over his ears.

We've been back to the hospital since and he's not a bit worried by it or by seeing Doctors, it was a really well planned and thought out process.

Shootfirstaskquestionslater · 29/05/2017 00:58

Get the surgery done she will thank you for it in the long run and you will be glad that you had it done. I've had 10 operations I had my first at a year old and all the GA's have done me no harm.

emmyrose2000 · 29/05/2017 03:53

Surgery.

As a glasses wearer since age 10 (and a contact lens wearer since age 16), I'd give anything to avoid wearing them.

My DC had a GA at age four (tonsils/grommets). No issue at all.

mumblebees · 29/05/2017 08:50

Thank you everyone Flowers surgery is definitely the role we are going to go down.

SooSmith · 29/05/2017 09:06

I also had squint surgery as a child. To look at me you'd never know I'd had a squint, although that eye is weaker.

I would warn you that after the surgery the eye may look red and sore, and she also might have bruising. Just make sure she's prepared before she looks in a mirror.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.