Huge refrecative error

Good day,
         my daughter is 6 years old. She is nearsighted -3 left  and -10 right. Three months ago, she was diagnosed with  amblymobia 20/80 in her left eye. We did patching for 6hours aday and she improved to 20/25 in her lazy eye. The doctor said that she is doing well and she is fine. BUT my daughter keeps saying "mom, I see only through my left eye"with glasses"" I cant see through the other one.

With such dfference between the two eyes, Is her brain able to combine the two pictures? does she use both eyes at the same time? How does she see the world? Is her binocular vision is well?

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

Unless something is very very unusual about your daughter as your wrote it the lazy (amblyopic) eye would be the right eye and you would be patching the left eye.

She should be under the care of a pediatric ophthalmologist Eye MD.  She would likely benefit from fitting a contact lens on the left eye or therapeutic lasik.

If you live in the USA find a Eye MD at www.aao.org.

No her brain cannot use her eyes together. She has peripheral vision in the right eye but not good central reading vision. She does not have normal depth perception

All your other children and blood kin espcially those younger than 5 need to be seen by an Eye MD as the chance of them having a similiar problem is 20%

JCH MD

[epte77]

Sorry for confusion. Her -10 eye is the right one which has improved to 20/25. we were patching the left one.

Having such peripheral vision in her right -10 eye means that she is using only one eye? Am I correct?

Is there a soloution for such cases??
Can central reading vision and normal depth perception be improved by time as she improved now to 20/25??

thanks

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

When she is using both eyes her peripheral vision (side vision is normal) but all the reading vision comes from the good eye.

Depth perceiption will likely never be normal but will not likely improve to normal.

Once you stop patching the vision in the -10 eye will regress.

You didn't mention who's taking care of her. It should be a pediatric ophthalmologist.  I have worked with an Eye MD that did lasik (paid for by insurance) on the -10 eye hoping to cut it down to say -3 to -4 where glasses would work.

Bottom line she cannot wear glasses that are -3 and -10 and when you stop patching the vision will fall off unless she wears contacts and glasses.  Needs to consult a peds Eye MD and a cornea Refractive surgeon Eye MD

JCH MD