scarred cornea

[furch]

our son is two years old.  He has low sensitivity and very dry right eye.  He scratched his cornea when he as 3 months old and it has never healed and it is now scarred.  He doesnt always blink this eye.  My son was believed to have had a stroke in utero and his right side of his body has complications.  We have used drops, gel and ointments and his still stays dry making the scar more complicated our optimologist wants us to have a surgery to close the eye half way to prevent the scar to get worse he is afraid it could make a whole in the eye and not reopen it untill he in his teenage years.  As a mother this concerns me. My question is are there any other options we can try before having to close the eye.  My son also has a track and is on a ventalator partof day and all night when he is sleeping.   Thank you   Kelly

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

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[furch]

Thank you for responding so soon

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

Your son has a problem in his right eye that could lead to an infected ulcer or a hole all the way through his cornea with loss of the eye. A "lateral tarsaraphy" is the usual treatment and that is what it sounds like your ophhthalmologist wants to do.

JCH MD