Strabismus in Medellín
Eye misalignment can be corrected at any age, and treatment does not always start in the operating room
In children and adults, strabismus treatment follows a step-by-step approach: glasses, patching, botulinum toxin or surgery on the eye muscles. First the deviation is measured and the cause is investigated; then the right step is chosen. MDE Care is not a clinic: we arrange your assessment with strabismus specialists in Medellín, surgery if needed and your follow-up.
Step-by-step treatment
from least invasive to surgery
What type of strabismus is it and which treatment usually applies?
Answer a few questions about yourself or your child. We show you which treatment step the case usually fits, what is checked at the assessment and how much that step costs.
1Who is the assessment for?
2Have you had it since childhood or did it start in adulthood?
3Do you see double?
4Do you have a thyroid condition or have you had a stroke?
5Have you had strabismus surgery before?
Eye muscle surgery for childhood strabismus
It is not too late: strabismus surgery can be done at any age. In adults it is done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation, it is outpatient and adjustable sutures are an option.
What usually applies
- Consultation with the strabismus specialist
- Eye muscle surgery
- Follow-up, in person or remote
What is checked
- Measurement of the deviation
- Refraction: the prescription of each eye
- Binocular vision: how the eyes work together
Strabismus surgery, per eye, estimate
COP 4,200,000to COP 5,500,000
Plus the specialist consultation: COP 150,000 to COP 300,000.
When to fly or return to school or work is decided by the surgeon in each case.
Send my summary on WhatsApp* Estimated prices, confirmed at your assessment. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
How much does strabismus surgery cost in Medellín?
Build your case: the consultation with the strabismus specialist, the treatment you were recommended and whether it is one eye or both. We show you the estimated total in Colombian pesos or US dollars.
First, the assessment
Everything starts with a consultation with the strabismus ophthalmologist: they measure the deviation, check the prescription and vision of each eye and how the eyes work together. With that, they decide whether glasses, patching, botulinum toxin or surgery is the right step.
What is included
- Measurement of the deviation
- Refraction and vision of each eye
- Binocular vision assessment
- Treatment plan
What changes the price
- Whether glasses or patching are needed
- Whether toxin or surgery is needed later
- The clinic and the specialist assigned
1. Consultation with the strabismus specialist
2. Treatment
3. Who is it for?
Glasses and patching are decided at the consultation. In adults, surgery is done under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation; adjustable sutures are an option.
Estimated total
COP 150,000to COP 300,000
Consultation with the strabismus specialist · for an adult
Specialist consultation
COP 150,000 to COP 300,000
Breakdown
- Consultation with the strabismus specialistCOP 150,000 to COP 300,000
* Estimated prices, confirmed at your assessment. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
What is strabismus?
It is a condition in which the two eyes do not line up in the same direction: one looks straight ahead and the other turns inward, outward, upward or downward.
It is usually caused by a problem in the control of the muscles that move the eyes, rather than by those muscles being weak.
The specialist measures the deviation, checks the prescription and vision of each eye and decides with you whether to start with glasses, patching, botulinum toxin or surgery. In adults, the cause is also investigated, which may be thyroid-related or neurological; in that case neurology is also involved.
Types of strabismus in children and adults
A deviation present from birth is not the same as one that appears at age 50 with double vision.
Childhood strabismus
Present from birth or early childhood. The main risk is lazy eye, so it is assessed together with pediatric ophthalmology.
Adult strabismus
It may be caused by diabetes, stroke, thyroid disease, palsy of an eye nerve, orbital trauma or previous surgery. It can also be childhood strabismus that comes back.
Convergence insufficiency
The eyes drift outward only when looking at something close. It is managed mainly with orthoptic therapy, not with surgery.
Strabismus in children
In children, strabismus is not only about appearance: it can stop one eye from developing good vision.
The risk is lazy eye
The brain may stop using the turned eye. That is why the deviation is assessed whether it is constant or only appears at times.
Glasses and patching first
A refractive error is corrected with glasses; if there is a lazy eye, the healthy eye is covered so the brain uses the weaker one.
General anesthesia
If botulinum toxin or surgery is needed, most children have it under general anesthesia and as outpatients.
A general eye check for your child, beyond strabismus, is done in pediatric ophthalmology in Medellín.
Strabismus in adults
It can be treated at any age. In adults, the cause is always investigated before deciding on treatment.
If double vision appears suddenly, it is not a case for a price quote: seek an urgent neurological evaluation the same day. The strabismus assessment comes afterwards.
How strabismus is treated, step by step
Treatment starts with the least invasive option that solves the case. The specialist chooses the step based on the type of deviation, age and cause.
Glasses
When there is a refractive error, correcting it is part of the treatment and in some cases it aligns the eyes.
Patching
The healthy eye is covered to force the brain to use the weaker eye. It is the treatment for lazy eye.
Botulinum toxin
A very diluted dose is injected into an eye muscle to weaken it temporarily. The effect lasts 3 to 4 months and sometimes more than one injection is needed. In children, under general anesthesia.
Eye muscle surgery
One or several of the six muscles that move the eye are weakened, strengthened or repositioned. It is outpatient.
Toxin or surgery?
In horizontal strabismus, comparative studies reviewed by the American Academy of Ophthalmology report alignment of around 60% with toxin, compared with 66 to 77% with surgery. It is a different use from toxin in neurology or aesthetics.
Adjustable sutures, in adults
A temporary knot is left that allows the alignment to be fine-tuned with the patient awake, in recovery or a few days later.
Three ideas about strabismus worth setting straight
They are the ones that most often delay a consultation, in children and adults.
Myth
"It is too late, that is fixed in childhood"
Strabismus surgery can be done at any age, including in adults who have had it since childhood.
Myth
"It is done with a laser"
No. It is surgery on the muscles that move the eye, through small incisions.
Myth
"It is only cosmetic"
In children it can cause lazy eye, and in adults it usually comes with double vision and may be linked to diabetes, a stroke, Graves disease or trauma.
What strabismus surgery and recovery are like
After treatment: what changes and what does not
Another operation may be needed
A percentage of patients need another surgery, and at least six months must pass between them.
Surgery does not replace glasses
If you wear glasses, you need to keep wearing them after surgery. If there is a lazy eye, its treatment also continues.
Orthoptics as a complement
The exercises of orthoptic therapy are the main treatment for convergence insufficiency and do not replace surgery when it is needed.
Remote follow-up
Later follow-up visits can be done remotely when the specialist considers it safe, so you do not have to stay in Medellín longer than necessary.
Strabismus surgery at a glance
| Specialist consultation | Measurement of the deviation, refraction and binocular vision. COP 150,000 to COP 300,000 |
|---|---|
| Strabismus surgery | COP 4,200,000 to COP 5,500,000 per eye, estimate |
| Botulinum toxin | Quoted at your assessment; effect of 3 to 4 months |
| Anesthesia | General in most children; in adults, general or local with sedation |
| Hospital stay | Outpatient, no overnight stay |
| With adjustable sutures | 2 to 3 hours of observation after surgery |
| Repeat surgery, if needed | At least six months after the first one |
| Follow-up | Can be done remotely when the specialist considers it safe |
Why arrange your strabismus treatment with MDE Care
We are not a clinic: we are your coordination team. We connect you with strabismus specialists and accredited clinics in Medellín.
A strabismus specialist
We arrange your visit with an ophthalmologist who measures the deviation and binocular vision, for children and adults.
A clear price for each step
You know from the start what the consultation and surgery cost, and what is quoted at the assessment.
Coordination from start to finish
Assessment, surgery, follow-up and, if you travel with your family, the logistics of your stay in Medellín.
Organizations that support our work
How we coordinate your strabismus treatment
Guided support from your first message to your follow-up visits.
Tell us about your case
Message us on WhatsApp with your self-check result or your test results.
Assessment
The specialist measures the deviation and the vision of each eye.
Plan
They define the step: glasses, patching, toxin or surgery.
Treatment
Toxin or outpatient surgery, if that is what applies.
Follow-up
In person and remote when the specialist considers it safe.
Common questions about strabismus
How much does strabismus surgery cost in Medellín?
Can strabismus be operated on in adults?
Is strabismus surgery done with a laser?
Will another operation be needed?
What is botulinum toxin for strabismus?
At what age is a child with strabismus operated on?
Can glasses alone correct strabismus?
How long is the recovery?
Were you told it was too late to correct it?
Strabismus can be operated on at any age. Tell us about your case and we will arrange the assessment.
Other ophthalmology procedures
Ready to treat your strabismus?
Write to us with your self-check result, for yourself or your child. We arrange the assessment with the strabismus specialist, surgery if needed and your follow-up in Medellín, with a clear price from the first message.