To put 5 year old through operation solely so they don't have to wear glasses?

[blueby7]

5 year old wears glasses, she has an issue with her eyes where she needs them for correction but not for eyesight.
Specialist has said will need an op on both eyes but not sure when.
She hates wearing glasses.
I'm wondering if it is wrong to get the operation solely for the purpose of not having to wear glasses anymore?
The operation isn't major but it is on both eyes and eye health scares me as they are so important and delicate.

Also if you aren't squeamish about eyes you can watch the surgery here

Just so you get an idea of what it might be like

That’s not helpful. This is not an operation for vanity, it will save the child from potentially losing her sight in one eye or having double vision and no depth perception, meaning a lifelong disability. The consultant has said that glasses will only help for a while. She’ll be in more danger of getting run over by a car due to having no depth perception if she doesn’t have the operation than the tiny risk from a general anaesthetic. The younger you are when this procedure is done, the better the success rate.

OP, why would you want to wait? I see no upside to putting it off.

DS had squint surgery when he was 6. It was very quick, he just had a very red eye for a few weeks. From what I remember they just snipped a tiny muscle.
He still needs his glasses though, and he has a compensating prescription to help keep his eyes in line. If he goes a day without his glasses, his squint starts to come back. (He has long-sightedness & severe astigmatism too though).

My understanding is that 5-7 is the perfect age to have the operation.
I would check about the not needing glasses any more though.

My perspective comes from personal experience.
My Dad had a 'lazy eye' and was only operated on as an adult. His eye still wandered when he was tired, upset or ill. The operation didn't help his vision at all and he was classed as having useful vision in only one eye.
My DC2 was born with a genetic condition that affected their vision (to the point that they were registered blind at two months old). They have a squint when tired, etc, and an operation would only be for cosmetic reasons, despite them having useful vision.
My honest advice is to grab the opportunity with both hands. Yes, your child might still need glasses, but do anything you can to make the impact on them as little as possible, and the sooner the better. The longer you leave it, the more likely it is that it won't make a difference to their vision, or if left long enough, an operation would ultimately mean they end up with double vision.

My daughter had a lazy eye and it was picked up when she was 4. She went through patching and wearing glasses to improve the sight and just before she started infants school she had the operation. Although it looked sore and bloodshot she was fine even the day after. Her sight is not perfect at 36 and she wears glasses for reading. She always says that she is so glad that we had the operation done. I think it would have really affected her confidence if we hadnt had it done.

Will they need a general anaesthetic? I only ask because I know a 17 year old who had an operation to pin back his ears as they really stuck out. His Mum gave him the choice and he wanted it done. He had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and died.

The odds of that happening are so low they wouldn’t not present a reason not to have a GA. My DM was so anxious about my health as a child she wouldn’t let me get my tonsils removed and my childhood and education were totally blighted and miserable as a result.

OP i would rather pre-empt what sound to be very unpleasant symptoms (headaches are pretty awful) and get your DDs name on the waiting list especially as she is going to need this surgery sooner or later. The advantages sound to outweigh the disadvantages- sparing her future symptoms, she hates wearing glasses and helping her vision issues in the short term too. No one likes the thought of surgery for their DC but this sounds necessary and very beneficial.

I always worry about children’s bodily autonomy but, as the drs recommend the surgery & your child has expressed the desire to get her eyes fixed I see no ethical issues here.