2 year old having so many surgeries

My now 2 year old was born with a cataract in her left eye and had removal of it when she was 3 months old. She has an implanted len. Contacts and patching did not work on her as she was very stubborn and had to watch her every second, which still didnt work.She has been through a total of 7 surgeries...removal of the cataract, implanting the lens, Strabismus, 4th and 5th were removal of scar tissue build up from the other surgeries. 6th was just suppose to be remavoal of scar tissue but he also saw the her retina detached so he fixed that and put oil in her eye and the recent one was just to look at her eye for a checkup. We just saw her Retina doctor today and he wants to do another surgery next week because she has more scar tissue and he might have to take the lens out. If he takes the lens out how is she suppose to see? Should we even keep doing anymore surgeries if the scar tissue is just going to form again? We asked her docotor if the scar tissue was being formed because of all the surgeries and he said no he doesnt create scar tissue, she does because her eye is trying to heal. I dont understand that, my daughter is forming scar tissue just cause? Please any advice?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

IT is a common problem. Young children form lots of scar that older adults don't.  It is an ordeal but its the only hope to give her useful sight for a lifetime.

JCH MD

[Swiper9]

So my questions now are...is it dangerous for my child to have so many surgeries in such a short period of time? I heard it can cause learning disabilities later on from being put under all the way to many times. Also is she going to need to keep having surgery after surgery to get rid of the scar tissue that keeps forming back? Her eye hasnt even completely healed from the last surgery how is doing another one so soon safe? Taking the implanted lens out with make her blind, what is the point of removing the scar tissue if she is going to be blind? Her docotor now only does adults and rare cases with children should be get another opinion with a retina specialist that only specializes in children?

[berrywoo]

As far as repeat surgery being dangerous, I would say that there are always risks, but sometimes the benefits are worth the risks. Plus, I don't think the surgeon would have opted to do surgery if s/he thought it would pose any significant harm to your daughter.
As far as the link between general anesthesia and learning disabilities, I doubt that that is anything more than a rumor. Scientific research has not yielded any such relationship.

The number of surgeries depends on whether or not the retina keeps detaching due to the scar tissue. But at some point the scar tissue will stop forming, however, no one not even the surgeon will know when.

Removing the artificial lens will not make your daughter blind, as in no light perception. She can get a contact lens that should help her vision. In fact before IOL development and implantation in infants, this was the standard course of treatment. However, it may make her (if she doesn't already) have "low vision" (and maybe "legally blind") so you may want to go ahead and find appropriate resources to help your daughter and a really good pediatric ophthalmologist.

Not removing the scar tissue and making sure the retina stays attached will in all likelihood do more damage to your daughter's vision than removing the IOL.

Finding a pediatric retinal specialist may prove to be difficult. However, by all means seek out a second opinion, a major teaching hospital maybe a good place to go.