“Cross eye” – it’s a unsavory title put on those have a condition doctors call squint or bilateral strabismus. And while many live their entire lives with it, learning to adapt their vision and how to grow a thick skin, today we met two children with the condition who won’t have to do that. I found out why.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Four year old Ryan Segura and five year old Enid Segura may not quite understand the change that is about to take place in their young lives. This brother and sister have been living with a condition called squint or what is locally referred to as “cross eye.” Ophthalmologist Dr. Alistair Rennie explains.
Dr. Alistaire Rennie, Eye Surgeon
“It can hereditary or can just be right out of the blue in a family. So there is a chance of it appearing in any child.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But why, is it due to weak muscles around the eye?
Dr. Alistaire Rennie,
“It can be due to weak muscles around the eye and it can also be due to abnormality of the eye.”
And today Dr. Rennie will give these children a new look that will have them seeing things very differently. Ryan and Enid are not the only Belizean children that Dr. Rennie has treated. He says squint is very common in Belize and each time he makes his annual trip in march, there are patients waiting to see him.
Dr. Alistaire Rennie,
“I have been coming for about eight years now and there is never a lack of patients to be seen and operated on.”
Today Dr. Rennie performed at least seven surgeries. Most of the patients were children no older than five. Before the procedure, the kids are first made comfortable and kept away from their parents for only twenty minutes.
Dr. Alistaire Rennie,
“Its good to try and operate on some squints at a very early stage, namely before the fifth year of life because after that period of time, vision is quite often decided in each eye by that age.”
The children are put to sleep as Dr. Rennie operates on their eyes to simply loosen and tighten muscles. While the young patients remain comfortable throughout the procedure there may be some discomfort during recovery.
Dr. Alistaire Rennie,
“Because the eyes will be rougher than it was prior to the surgery
but the surface of the eye heals up quite quickly and we normally send them home with some ointment to use to keep the front of the eye smooth and cleaned.”
The children should be able to remove the eye bandage overnight and be completely free of daily treatments like special eye drops in just two weeks.
Dr. Alistaire Rennie,
“With some cases we might want them to wear a shield over their eye for a few days afterwards but it is a good idea that they see with both eyes from a very early stage because we are trying to encourage them to use both yes together.”
Operations like this one can cost over two thousand dollars but it is being done mostly free of cost through the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. According to BCVI’s Human Resources and Promotions Officer Christa Courtenay the procedure was very much needed and they decided to add it to the list of other services they provide to the general public.
Christa Courtenay, Human Resources and Promotions Officer – BCVI
“When we do come across anything that we haven’t seen before or we find enough patients that really need the treatment then we scan all of our contacts in the UK and the US to see if we can get somebody with that particular specialty to come and treat the patients.
We have clinics located throughout the country, there are five of them total and so they do a lot of screening in their own areas. Belize specifically, we did post on the bulletin board in case anybody had cross eye and needed treatment could come to see the doctor as well. But they do a lot of screening there and then refer the patients otherwise and I believe we coordinate with some of the private ophthalmologists as well because this surgery is not available anywhere else in Belize except when he comes or a specialist comes.”
Sadly children with any form of abnormality are often teased or stared at. But no more for Ryan and Enid who will now enjoy a happy childhood without the stigma.
Dr. Alsitaire Rennie,
“There are lots of people who manage to see with one eye and function very well but the appreciation of depth perception is a lot less, although they do learn to judge depth to a certain extent with one eye. But for the eyes to function the best they can, its good to have two eyes working together.”
The children will go for a post operative checkup later this week. Dr. Alistaire Rennie who is from England voluntarily makes the trip each march to perform the procedures. The children undergo numerous clinical tests before the operation is performed. The patients are directed through the five different BCVI clinics countrywide.
