Anna's eyes are in fact going to require surgery to correct the problem of them being crossed. The patching did not correct the cross eyed problem, however, we have noticed that she does favor her left eye from time to time.
I'll be quite honest, we knew it was coming, we had done our homework and knew the problem wasn't going away. However, I hadn't quite braced myself for the REALITY that would set in the moment we left the Dr's office. I nearly got emotional enough to almost cry. I know, pretty wimpy of me isn't it.
I think the thing that gets me the most emotional is the thought of when they will take her away to do the surgery. Either when they take her away, or when they put her under is going to be rather traumatizing for me as a father. I just can't stand the thought of causing her any pain. Ok...NOW I'm officially shedding a tear or two.
I would like to ask everyone that is reading this to please pray and fast for our little girl. We will be holding a family and friend fast on Sunday, September 22, 2013. And we wouldn't mind a prayer or two in our direction for us dealing with this...you know...emotionally.
Now, if you have any indication of concern for this adorable face (or one like it), you're going to be asking some of the same questions we did ask the doctor.
Q: Where will the surgery take place?
A: There is a small clinic in Provo that will provide the venue.
Q: Who will perform the surgery?
A: Dr. Yeates, an MD specializing in "pediatric opthamology and adult strabismus" (strabismus is where the eyes cross)
Q: How many times has Dr. Yeates performed the surgery?
A: Dr. Yeates said that he lost count of how many times he had performed the surgery. He does it at least 5 times each week. He said likely over 800 times.
Q: What is the root cause of the problem? Is it genetic?
A: There really isn't a known root cause. Many doctors-Dr. Yeates included believe that it's some disconnect between the brain and the muscles, however, other very reasonable theories exist.
Q: What are the risks?
A: The greatest risk is the anesthesia. Ensuring that Anna isn't sick before the surgery is important there. The most common risk, however, is infection (1/20,000 cases). There are minor risks that the eyes will bleed too much, or could have some other damage incurred on them.
Q: What is the typical age for the surgery?
A: Anna is on the young end for doing the surgery (9 mos). This is both a blessing and curse. A blessing because we caught it quick and so action can be taken. A curse because children demonstrating this problem this young, typically require a second or third surgery some time in their life. Now, the time span of that second surgery is very broad, but at her age it's about 1/3 to 1/2 cases requiring surgery a second time.
Q: Will there be any required medication after the surgery?
A: Eye drops will be prescribed. These eye drops will prevent infection.
Q: How does insurance work with the surgery?
A: Insurance treats this a required surgery- not cosmetic. So it will be fully covered.
Q: Do we need to patch after the surgery?
A: NO! The eyes should be exposed as much as possible to allow her brain to begin sorting out vision with two eyes. To this point, she has only used vision in one eye at a time.
Q: How regularly do we need to do checkups afterward?
A: Every few months for the first year or so. If things go well, visits will reduce in frequency.
Q: How soon after surgery for first follow up?
A: Less than 7 days.
Q: Do we need to patch in the meantime?
A: Absolutely yes! She needs to get used to having that eye have vision in it.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: This is something that we didn't have information available at the time. When we get the information, I'll post it here. I'm expecting around $2-3k for "pre-insurance" cost.
Q: Do we need to keep her from rubbing her eyes before/after the surgery?
A: Dr. Yeates said that expecting her to keep her hands off of her eyes is completely unreasonable, and unnecessary. The best thing we can do is to make sure she isn't submerged in water.
