Exotropia: Vision Therapy, Surgery or Lenses?

What is Exotropia?

Exotropia, commonly called wandering eye or wall-eye or cross-eyes, is the visual condition in which a person uses only one eye to look at an object while the other eye turns outward. Exotropia is one of several types of strabismus, a condition resulting in eye turns or deviating eyes. Eye coordination may not be developed enough to provide normal control of the person's binocular vision.

Functional treatment and cosmetic treatment of exotropia

Treatment for esotropia should be both cosmetic (making the eyes look more straight) and functional, meaning making the eyes function properly as a team - this is called binocular vision and results in stereo vision or three demensional depth perception..

Our two eyes work together as a binocular system. When our two eyes work together well, we can easily and efficiently measure the location of objects in relation to ourselves. Binocular vision makes it easier for us to ride a bicycle, drive a car, or direct many other daily activities.

An eye that wanders is much more than just an appearance problem. For example, reading demands accurate binocular vision. When a person's eyes do not aim at the same place accurately and simultaneously, he or she will have much more difficulty with large amounts of reading, writing, and other close work.

Treatment of Exotropia using vision therapy, lenses, patching or surgery

Treatments fo exotropia involve the use of lenses and vision therapy. Sometimes surgery is required. Patching may also work in some cases. Patching one eye may make the patient more aware of the eye that is misused, leading to gradual correction of the eye turn.

Vision therapy for exotropia

Our doctors thoroughly evaluate exotrpia and provide treatment options, including non-surgical vision therapy or a referral to a surgeon if it is warranted. Exotropia is the easiest type of strabismus to treat with vision therapy, saving the patient from the risks and uncertainties associated with strabismus surgery and the liklihood of repeat surgeries.

Videos

Strabismus, 3D & VT

Children's Vision

Saving a Mom's Vision

Life-Saving Eye Exam

Vision Therapy doctors are a small group

"Today, a relatively small group of optometrists still practice and continue to perfect optometric vision therapy techniques.

Yet, it is difficult for a strabismic patient to learn about, much less access, this type of clinician." Dr. Susan Barry, 2010 Journal of the American Optometric Association

Vision Therapy for Concussion-related visual symptoms

There has been an explosion of research into the optometric treatment of the visual symptoms following concussions by using vision therapy and rehabilitation.

There have been so many studies demonstrating the effectiveness of these approaches and clinics like our's across North America are making a big difference in the lives of concussion patients. Here is a passage from a recent article by Dr.Neera Kapoor.

Vision Therapy markedly reduces visual symptoms resulting from brain injury

In an 2008 study published in the journal, Optometry, that studied oculomotor dysfunctions in acquired brain injury, the researchers concluded that, "[n]early all patients in the current clinic sample exhibited either complete or marked reduction in their oculomotor-based symptoms and improvement in related clinical signs, with maintenance of the symptom reduction and sign improvements at the 2- to 3-month follow-up. These findings show the efficacy of optometric vision therapy for a range of oculomotor abnormalities in the primarily adult, mild brain-injured population. Furthermore, it shows considerable residual neural plasticity despite the presence of documented brain injury."