Eye Muscle Problems

Marietta Eye Surgery
Your one-stop source for strabismus eye surgery

Eye surgery involving muscles is an ophthalmic surgical procedure that is not performed at ALL ophthalmology practices. Ophthalmologists typically specialize in various areas of ophthalmology and since surgery-involving muscles is relatively uncommon it can be difficult to find skilled, competent eye surgeons with this experience and capability. The eye surgeons at Marietta Eye Clinic strive to offer complete eye care services and have developed a program to help patients that need this kind of surgery. For a consultation, please call 770-427-8111.

What is Eye Muscle Surgery?

The purpose of eye muscle surgery is surgery to weaken, strengthen, or reposition any of the muscles that move the extra-ocular muscles that control the eye. Eye muscle surgery can be performed on patients at various age groups to help improve their vision.

The extra-ocular muscles attach via tendons to the sclera (the white outer protective covering of the eyeball) at different places just behind the eye. The other end of each of these muscles attaches to a part of the orbit (the eye socket in the skull). These muscles enable the eyes to move up, down, to one side or the other, or any angle in between.

Typically both eyes move together, receive the same image on corresponding locations on both retinas, and the brain fuses these images into one three-dimensional image. The exception is in strabismus, which is a disorder where one or both eyes deviate out of alignment, most often outwardly (exotropia) or toward the nose (esotropia). The brain now receives two different images, and either suppresses one or the person sees double (diplopia). Weakening or strengthening the appropriate muscles to move the eyes toward the center can adjust this deviation. For example, if an eye turns upward, the muscle at the bottom of the eye could be strengthened.

There are two methods to alter extra-ocular muscles. Traditional surgery can be used to strengthen, weaken, or reposition an extra-ocular muscle. The surgeon first makes an incision in the conjunctiva (the clear membrane covering the sclera), then puts a suture into the muscle to prevent it from getting lost and loosens the muscle from the eyeball with a surgical hook. During a resection, the muscle is detached from the sclera, a piece of muscle is removed so the muscle is now shorter, and the muscle is reattached to the same place. This strengthens the muscle. In a recession, the muscle is made weaker by repositioning it. More than one extraocular eye muscle might be operated on at the same time.

Since there are six muscles on each eye, and 12 muscles for both, the combination of tightening or weakening procedures for a person's problems are exponential. This sheer number of corrective procedures for a patient's strabismus problems may be confusing. And for a resident in training, it is. That's why it takes years of academic reading, instruction, practice, and surgical experience to bring quality results to patients. We at Marietta Eye Clinic are proud to bring you the experience of a fellowship trained strabismus specialist who can diagnose and treat the multitude of eye misalignment disorders.

What should I do if I need eye muscle surgery?

If you have been told that you might need to have eye muscle surgery you should research this process thoroughly and examine your options before acting. If you are seeking eye muscle surgery in Georgia please feel free to contact us directly and we will be happy to schedule a consultation with our strabismus specialist. Listed below are a few things to think about before speaking with an eye muscle specialist type of ophthalmologist.

Marietta Eye Clinic is proud to offer comprehensive services to Georgia residents, including pediatric and adult strabismus. Call us if you have any further questions, or require an examination.

1. How many eye muscle surgeries has the eye doctor performed?
2. What type of experience and education does the eye doctor have?
3. What is the eye muscle surgery success rate?
4. Does this eye doctor come highly recommended?
5. How many other Georgia eye muscle surgeons exist
6. When is eye muscle surgery required?