Nystagmus is a disease that is accompanied by a constant, highly pronounced, and uncontrolled twitching of the eyes and, as a result, a noticeable decrease in visual acuity.
Nystagmus is always a consequence of a disease that reduces visual acuity. Therefore, we have developed a treatment system that, on the one hand, blocks eye twitching, and on the other hand, increases visual acuity.
We block the nystagmus by means of a specially developed system of surgical intervention. This system reliably allows blocking the nystagmus completely in a straight position of the eye in 78% of cases, in 22% of cases, reducing the amplitude and frequency of eye twitching significantly.
But this is not enough for treatment. In the case of nystagmus, it is required to increase the patient's visual acuity as much as possible in each case. We achieve this through special therapeutic measures. In almost all cases, it is possible to increase the patient's visual acuity, and in some cases, even to obtain subnormal visual acuity performance.
The earlier treatment is started, the faster the child will be rehabilitated. And the achieved result will be sustainable!
During the treatment of this disease, specialists of Crystal Vision use a comprehensive approach, including:
A successful case with our little patient Artyom, who came to our clinic with a problem of tremulous nystagmus, began also last year.
With the help of high-precision diagnostics of oculomotor functions, Victoria Balasanyan, the Head of Clinical Department of the Crystal Vision Eye Clinic, determined the frequency and amplitude of eye vibrations, checked visual acuity and a number of other parameters in order to calculate nystagmus surgery.
Thanks to STRABO mathematical modeling system of Professor Igor Aznauryan, a calculation was carried out, which showed that in order to remove oscillatory movements, only one operation needs to be performed!
The task of an ophthalmic surgeon is to block the oscillatory movements of the eyes (or significantly reduce them) in the straight position of the eye and to remove the forced position of the head, which often occurs in patients with nystagmus. Surgery is the only way to block these movements. In the case of nystagmus, treatment should start with surgery. This is the foundation for further rehabilitation. We have implemented modern "knifeless" technologies that allow performing surgical operations with the preservation of blood vessels and nerve elements of the eye, which is a huge achievement!
At Crystal Vision, we perform unique surgical operations of nystagmus that block and stop it. We are the first who have developed a three-stage system of rehabilitation of patients with nystagmus, the essence of which is to diagnose the precise state of the visual system in the case of nystagmus in combination with surgery and therapy to increase visual acuity.
The technique of surgery depends on the type of nystagmus, so it is extremely important to make precise diagnose; it is important to determine the cause of nystagmus and its type. It is for this purpose that we apply diagnostic standards that allow seeing the minimal disorders at any level of the visual system, from the transparency of the media and visual cells of the eye to the cells of the visual cortex of the brain.
After the surgical operation, it will be possible to carry out activities to improve vision.
In parallel with the surgical intervention, an ophthalmological examination is performed, which allows determining the exact refraction of the child and examining the fundus. If there is a refractive pathology (astigmatism, myopia, etc.), the child is prescribed glass correction.
Therapeutic treatment involves a special set of measures to increase visual acuity.
Parents may also determine the primary symptoms of nystagmus - uncontrolled movements of the eyeballs. Only a specialist can conduct a thorough examination and determine the cause of nystagmus.
The doctor will prescribe specific research methods to accurately diagnose and determine surgical treatment tactics.
In addition, our clinic has a unique Gazelab device for the diagnosis of nystagmus and strabismus. This compact and precise device can be used to check the vision of children from 2 years old. It allows identifying the affected muscle from the twelve eye muscles precisely, which directly influences the tactics of future surgery. No other scanning device does have such precision and such opportunities.
Nystagmus can be caused by various disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system. It is either congenital or acquired. In the first case, we are talking about nystagmus in newborns. Often acquired nystagmus is combined with partial or complete atrophy of the optic nerve, refractive pathology (myopia, astigmatism), and also occurs in children with genetic diseases (Leber's disease, albinism).
The reasons for the emergence of acquired nystagmus in adults and children are similar:
In the case of nystagmus, the child's head may often take an unnatural position. This condition is called ocular torticollis. It occurs due to the fact that nystagmus always assumes a position of the head, in which the oscillatory movements occur much less or completely disappear. The child unconsciously finds this position of the head and starts looking in this position because due to the smaller number of oscillating movements, the quality and acuity of vision in such the position is much better. It is difficult for a child at any age to determine the presence of a health condition. Moreover, nystagmus often develops against the background of another disease.
A newborn over the age of 3-4 weeks should begin to focus their eyes on objects. In the absence of fixation and the presence of oscillatory movements, it is better to contact a specialist as soon as possible in order to determine the cause of the disease and begin treatment as early as possible. If this does not happen, it should be checked for the presence of congenital nystagmus. It is more difficult for a child, especially at a young age, to report the discomfort caused by the disease. Regular vertigo, a sense of instability, and twitching of visual images lead to distorted vision of the surrounding world and impaired vision.
In 78% of cases, we can completely compensate for nystagmus with a straight direction of the eye and a significant improvement in the state of visual functions, as well as a stable result of treatment. At the same time, high-frequency non traumatic radio-wave surgery technologies are used to minimize the eye tissue trauma with the preservation of blood vessels and nerve elements.
We have developed a highly effective method of operations for various types of nystagmus, due to which we can completely block or significantly reduce the frequency of oscillatory eye movements in the straight position of the eye and significantly increase visual functions. These results are our pride; it is a huge step forward! To date, this is the only way to help patients with nystagmus effectively. Nystagmus surgeries performed by our eye surgeons are unique because of:
