Surgery for misaligned eyes curbs social anxiety

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Corrective surgery for strabismus -- a visual defect in which the eyes are misaligned -- can reduce the social anxiety and social avoidance often associated with the condition, according to a report in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Strabismus is often informally referred to as "cross-eyes." People with the condition may have one or two eyes that turn inward, outward, up or down. The exact cause of such misalignment is not fully clear.

The present study is not the first to examine the impact of strabismus surgery on psychological and social outcomes. However, none of the previous studies used standardized questionnaires to compare pre- and post-operative data and relate surgical results to "psychosocial" outcomes.

The current study involved 46 patients who were evaluated with standardized measures of anxiety and depression 6 weeks before and 3 months after undergoing corrective surgery for strabismus.

Prior to treatment, strabismus patients had slightly higher levels of general anxiety and significantly increased levels of social anxiety and social avoidance.

Corrective surgery was associated with significant improvements in psychosocial functioning: levels of general anxiety, social anxiety, and social avoidance all declined, particularly for patients without double vision. Patients also reported feeling better about their appearance after surgery.

"This study, the authors conclude, "shows that for the majority of patients, strabismus surgery results in significant benefits to psychological adjustment and to patients' evaluations of their own appearance."

SOURCE: British Journal of Ophthalmology June 2006.