Changing your child’s pediatric ophthalmologist once they turn 18
My child was diagnosed with strabismus at the age of 4. We had a wonderful experience with Dr. Otis Paul & Dr. Omondi N’yongo ( who was closer to home). After Dr. Nyong’o left PAMF, we were seeing Dr. Taliva Martin but last two appointments were canceled which was frustrating since we made the appointments months in advance and since it takes forever to get the next appointment we had no choice but to opt for their optometrist to completed the checkups. Now that our child turns 18, I’m not sure if a Pediatric Ophthalmologist can continue seeing them. Who does your child see once they turned 18 and weren’t considered pediatric patients? Would appreciate recommendations for someone who deals with strabismus. Our child will be heading off to college in another state and we would really like to see a specialist to make sure everything is OK.
Parent Replies
Hello!
Full disclosure--I am an optometrist. And, I happen to have a strabismus that I had surgeries for as a child. Really, at this stage, as an adult, in my opinion, your kid is better served with an optometrist since they likely are not going to have another surgery. Optometry and Ophthalmology work well together when it comes to patients with eye turns. The ophthalmologist does the surgery and specializes in that area. However, pre-op and post-op, the patient outcomes can be improved under the care of an optometrist who specializes in binocular vision and vision therapy (full disclosure--I am not this type of optometrist). The reason is because once the surgery is complete--and with a good strab surgeon--often one surgery is all that's needed, sometimes 2--the patient can improve their muscle balance with vision therapy (which ophthalmologists don't do) or by having a very precise pair of glasses designed to help them which optometrists are expert at. If you want to find an optometrist who specializes in binocular vision, they often have the letters "FCOVD" after their names which stands for "Fellow of the College of Vision Development". And, if after that explanation you still would like your kid to see an ophthalmologist, many pediatric ophthalmologists keep their patients far into adult hood and you may be able to see the same one--ask their office if there is an age cut off. Best wishes!