Post-Operative Instructions for Strabismus Surgery in Children

06 Apr Post-Operative Instructions for Strabismus Surgery in Children

1. The eye(s) will be bloodshot, and you may notice bright red blood covering the white of the eye. Some blood may be seen in tears or on the eyelashes for several days. This is expected. If the residue crusts on the lashes, use a clean facecloth, moistened in cool boiled water, to wipe it away. If the lids are matted shut, use your clean fingers to separate them. Mild swelling of the eyelids is to be expected.
2. Normal activity is allowed but use common sense. No swimming or playing in dirt, jumping, ball sports, running or any activity that causes repetitive forceful head movement should be avoided for 2-3 weeks. Try to prevent your child from rubbing the eyes.
3. A common immediate side effect of the surgery is nausea. While it is of vital importance to drink fluids, do not force your child to eat if they do not wish to. If vomiting persists for 24 hours, call Ms. Kathryn McCreery’s rooms at 01-2103653 or Blackrock Clinic at 01-2832222.
4. There is usually some pain associated with this surgery. It is advisable to use Calpol alternating with Nurofen suspension in the usual dose for the first 24 hours. Please refer to the dosing schedule on the bottle.
5. A follow-up appointment has been made for you. At this visit we will check to make sure there is no infection or large over or under correction. We do not assess the success of the surgery until approximately two months post-operatively.
6. Emergencies that we need to hear about are: severe pain, swelling, visual loss or excessive green ocular discharge.
7. If you are patching either eye for treatment of amblyopia, discontinue until your follow-up visit.
8. Post-operative drops (Maxitrol) should be placed on the surface of the eye four times per day. Lay your child on a flat surface, pull the lower lid down and place the drop in the gutter between the eye and the eyelid. An alternative method is to place the drops on the medial corner of the closed eyelid and have your child blink them in.