exophoria problem

[robert292]

Dear
I am a 22 year male from Bosnia. Few months ago my eyes started to hurt me when I read, watch Tv or do anything on close. As this happened for the 4 time now I already now what it is. They say I have bad eye fusion and they diagnosed me with exophoria, and they gave me eye exercises and prism glasses. This usually helped me before, as I did exercises for a few months and all the pressure and pain which I had when focusing my eyes on close would go away but this time it is not like that. I spend 3 months doing exercises and I only see a small improvement. I still can't work on a computer for more than 1/2 of hour or read. It is affecting me a lot, as I can't study or do any other thing.
My questions is can this be operated and is there any other way to deal with exophoria ?

Thanks for reading this mail. I visited tons of doctors and they all say just to do exercises and it will go away but it hasn't so far.I am really desperate because I am like this for more than 5 months and nothing is helping me.

Sincerely,
Robert Dacesin

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

No surgery can every be guarenteed or is 100 % successful, only USA trial lawyers believe that.

I would never give the advice you were given. I have never heard of any ophthalmologist that would tell a person to change their career or job or stop using computers, reading books, etc because of a symptomatic exophoria.

Asthenopis is just a big work for tired eyes. There are many causes including stress and lack of sleep. Your eyes do have to work extra hard to "fuse" your exophoria and it increases with near work. HOWEVER: the problem can usually be solved by "near work prism glasses" or eye muscle surgery usually bilateral lateral rectus recession.

I would urge you to see additional opinions and make an effort to see a pediatric ophthalmologist/adult strabismus (eye muscle) Eye MD physician. If not available in your country then go to one where you can travel back and forth relatively easy.

JCH MD

[robert292]

Can all the eye fusion problems be solved with an eye surgery ? I have seen another eye doctor and he thinks that along with exophoria I have asthenopia and he said to me that only possible treatment for this is relaxing my eyes and changing my proffesion and not focusing to much on a computer, TV, books... Is this true ? I need my eyes to study and I find this very unhelpful and demoralising coming from a doctor

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

Nothing about medicine and surgery is ever 100% successful. Risks include those of any surgery: infection, bleeding, scar formation, damage to vision.  Most common risks the eyes could be undercorrected and still turn out, they could be over corrected and cross which might leave you with constant double vision, more surgery may be necessary. Other than that only a pediatric-strabismus ophthalmologist could quantitate risks further.

JC MD

[robert292]

I forgot to ask you what is the risk in case of exophoria surgery and will I have it solve my problem for all times or not ? I mean, If I do operate my eyes is there a chance that this comes back again ?

Robert Dacesin

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

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[robert292]

Thank you so much for your answer. I do not trust too much doctors in the Balkans so I wanted an opinion from an expert. I will try doing exercises for few more months and If it doesn't help me I will see to do surgery.
Robert Dacesin

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

Exercises for exophoria ("fusion exercises") often (indeed usually) don't work. Yes it is possible to operate on an exophoria, especially if you have failed at exercises and prism glasses and are highly symptomatic.

You need to locate a eye MD ophthalmologist that specializes in strabismus, the medical name for eye muscle problems. They are often called pediatric ophthalmologists since most eye muscle problems occur in kids but they do adults also.  Most medical schools will have one on staff.

JCH MD