Remember the time when you had a bad haircut or had an injury that was visible to everyone? Remember how you thought everyone was looking at you and you wished you’d become invisible? Now imagine that happening every single day since your childhood. Mr. Ajit Kulkarni* knew this feeling too well. A banker by profession, he was very sincere and hard working. After a few years, Ajit was promoted to become the manager of his bank. And that is when Ajit decided that he could not go on like this.
Early Influences
Ajit was not afraid of the new responsibilities, but it struck him that as a manager, he would now need to interact a lot with his subordinates. You see, Ajit had an outward deviation of his left eye since childhood. He had been very conscious of this and it had pretty much shaped his entire personality. He could never meet anyone’s gaze while talking to them. At work too, he took his breaks alone and never really made any close friends.
Squint Scars
Ajit is not alone. Squint scars more than just one’s vision. A study found that 86% of adults with squint were embarrassed because of their eye deviation1. Many of them had low self-esteem and found it difficult to make eye contact. People with inward squint felt that others underestimated their intelligence. They were not being paranoid. In another study, researchers attached digitally altered facial photographs to employment applications. Having squint did cause a significant negative social bias which can have an impact on socialisation and the ability to get a job. Another survey conducted among adults with squint found that a majority of them would trade a portion of their life expectancy to get rid of their squint!2
The Consultation
Ajit visited Dr. Prachi Agashe for a squint consultation. Dr. Prachi Agashe advised few adjustments of his eye muscles through a squint surgery. Ajit discussed his fears about the surgery. Dr. Prachi explained what would be done and how it would impact his vision. Ajit then underwent squint correction.
Not just a Cosmetic Issue
Even if the squint has been long standing, most adults who undergo squint surgery do experience some improvement in their vision that comes from both their eyes working in coordination. In patients who have an inward squint, they may find an improvement in their visual field. Some may even regain depth perception. Thus squint surgery in adulthood is not merely for cosmetic purposes only. There’s a lot your vision stands to gain too.
Surgery heals the psychological scars
The aforementioned studies too attest this fact. Researchers found that surgical correction of squint improved job opportunities in patients less than 35 years of age.1 Personality traits like confidence and self-esteem were also positively boosted.
Ajit too got to enjoy the sweet fruits of overcoming his hesitations about surgery. He was so happy that he shared his joy with Dr. Prachi in his one month follow up, “I should’ve gotten this fixed earlier!” His confidence rose by leaps and bounds. This new personality shone through in all his interactions at work. He made friends and did wonderful as a manager with his confident social skills.
Dr. Prachi Agashe is an Adult Squint Specialist practicing at Agashe Hospital in Mumbai. If you have any queries about adult squint surgery and how it can benefit your life like Ajit’s, do feel free to get in touch. You may write in to Dr. Prachi Agashe at contactus@agashehospital.com or drop a message at www.facebook.com/agashehospital.
References:
1. Nelson, Bradley & Gunton, Kammi & Lasker, Judith & Nelson, Leonard & Drohan, Lea. (2008). The psychosocial aspects of strabismus in teenagers and adults and the impact of surgical correction. Journal of AAPOS : the official publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus / American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. 12. 72-76.e1. 10.1016/j.jaapos.2007.08.006.
2. Kushner BJ. The benefits, risks, and efficacy of strabismus surgery in adults. Optom Vis Sci. 2014 May;91(5):e102-9. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000248. PMID: 24739461.
* Name changed to protect privacy
Expert Moderator: Dr. Prachi Agashe | Blog Author: Dr. Amrita Sodhi
