Sclera

My 7-year-old daughter has severe congenital myopia in both eyes. Sclera surgery was suggested. Can anyone tell me where this procedure is actually performed here in the States?
Grateful parents, George and Lucy.

As of right now, we don't perform that specific surgery here in the US. If I recall correctly, they do that kind of procedure at the Fedorov Institute in Moscow. You'd need to contact them directly for the specifics.

23.02.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)

Sclera surgery isn't an option here in the US; you have to go to Russia for that. The whole point is to reinforce the back of the sclera so the eyeball doesn't keep elongating. As for laser vision correction to fix the prescription, you're going to be waiting a while. We don't do that on kids—not until they're at least 21.

19.06.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...p=1&offset=100

I am so sorry, I'm just not fully up to speed on the latest ophthalmology breakthroughs and research...

Chill out. You reacted like I stepped on your junk with a high heel.

I have a slight feeling we are getting WAY off track here:

A wife asks about correcting vision, and suddenly we're all deep-diving into stopping prescription changes altogether! That’s why I suggested she just go for a standard checkup first—to see if she’s even a candidate for surgery and whether her prescription is actually still climbing or staying steady.

So, let's not start fighting battles over Sclera procedures just yet, guys, let's take this one step at a time... 😬

Edward Green said:My 7-year-old daughter has severe congenital myopia in both eyes. Sclera surgery was suggested. Can anyone tell me where this procedure is actually performed here in the States?
Grateful parents, George and Lucy.

As of right now, we don't perform that specific surgery here in the US. If I recall correctly, they do that kind of procedure at the Fedorov Institute in Moscow. You'd need to contact them directly for the specifics.

23.02.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)

Sclera surgery isn't an option here in the US; you have to go to Russia for that. The whole point is to reinforce the back of the sclera so the eyeball doesn't keep elongating. As for laser vision correction to fix the prescription, you're going to be waiting a while. We don't do that on kids—not until they're at least 21.

19.06.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...p=1&offset=100

I am so sorry, I'm just not fully up to speed on the latest ophthalmology breakthroughs and research...

Chill out. You reacted like I stepped on your junk with a high heel.

The doctor "believes"—well, that sounds promising! If someone with those fancy titles started a sentence with "I think that..." when it comes to potentially poking around in my kids' eyes, I’d just point them straight to a specialized clinic to test their little theory so they wouldn't have to "think" anymore!

Basically, this whole debate is turning into a discussion about the competence of ophthalmologists right here in the States and abroad. Now, don't get me wrong, there's no denying there are top-tier specialists in Russia, and I specifically remember watching the very first experimental vision correction surgeries on TV back in the late 80s—those were pioneered by Russians using scalpels instead of lasers.

What I mean is that vision correction is a lesson learned even by our local doctors. It isn't strictly necessary to go looking for those super-capable, high-tech Russian doctors who might turn an outpatient procedure into a full hospital stay. Not to mention what happens if you need a follow-up surgery; the success of LASIK doesn't depend on anything other than how your eye heals.

I can see you have a lot of faith in the Fedorov school and the clinics built on those foundations, and I totally agree that those facilities are world-class, but for me, flying all the way over there feels like total overkill (but hey, that's just my two cents).

Performing Sclera won't stop the prescription from increasing here, but people still do it.

Edward Green said:My 7-year-old daughter has severe congenital myopia in both eyes. Sclera surgery was suggested. Can anyone tell me where this procedure is actually performed here in the States?
Grateful parents, George and Lucy.

As of right now, we don't perform that specific surgery here in the US. If I recall correctly, they do that kind of procedure at the Fedorov Institute in Moscow. You'd need to contact them directly for the specifics.

23.02.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)

Sclera surgery isn't an option here in the US; you have to go to Russia for that. The whole point is to reinforce the back of the sclera so the eyeball doesn't keep elongating. As for laser vision correction to fix the prescription, you're going to be waiting a while. We don't do that on kids—not until they're at least 21.

19.06.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...p=1&offset=100

I am so sorry, I'm just not fully up to speed on the latest ophthalmology breakthroughs and research...

Chill out. You reacted like I stepped on your junk with a high heel.

Why the wait? It's precisely because prescriptions often spike during puberty, so you wait for that phase to pass before doing any surgery.

For those parents, seeing their child's prescription climb feels like a total catastrophe, so they'll try anything to "save" them. If you look at the actual numbers, it's usually nowhere near a "catastrophe," but oh boy, when it involves your kids, it's almost impossible to stay objective. Personally, with my -5 vision, I wouldn't even consider fixing it if it weren't for work requirements.

Edward Green said:My 7-year-old daughter has severe congenital myopia in both eyes. Sclera surgery was suggested. Can anyone tell me where this procedure is actually performed here in the States?
Grateful parents, George and Lucy.

As of right now, we don't perform that specific surgery here in the US. If I recall correctly, they do that kind of procedure at the Fedorov Institute in Moscow. You'd need to contact them directly for the specifics.

23.02.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)

Sclera surgery isn't an option here in the US; you have to go to Russia for that. The whole point is to reinforce the back of the sclera so the eyeball doesn't keep elongating. As for laser vision correction to fix the prescription, you're going to be waiting a while. We don't do that on kids—not until they're at least 21.

19.06.2002. Tatiana Voskresensky-Horvat (Ophthalmology Specialist)
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?section...p=1&offset=100

I am so sorry, I'm just not fully up to speed on the latest ophthalmology breakthroughs and research...

Chill out. You reacted like I stepped on your junk with a high heel.

Maybe I’m a bit of a troll sometimes, but never on the forums.

BTW, I've got leather lingerie and a whip... I love it rough 😍

What about age? I read somewhere that if you’re in your 40s and get corrective surgery to fix nearsightedness, you’ll just end up needing reading glasses anyway. Apparently, even the owner of one of those clinics wears them—it was right there in their FAQ. Meanwhile, the doctor went ahead and got the procedure just to pose for some magazine spread. Does anyone actually know the deal here?

Look, I get it. You clearly trust Fedorov’s school of thought and the clinics built on his methods. I'll give you that—those places are top-tier, highly skilled, and fully loaded with tech. But honestly? For me, flying all the way there feels like total overkill. Just my two cents.

The price is somewhere in the middle, but it's a world-class institute and the city is gorgeous. Personally, I'm fine with it. 😁

It's not like an operation here in the States costs a few bucks while a trip to Moscow plus surgery runs you 250 euros. I'm just being paranoid and planning to drop way more cash than that.

Donna Barrett66 said:What about age? I read somewhere that if you’re in your 40s and get corrective surgery to fix nearsightedness, you’ll just end up needing reading glasses anyway. Apparently, even the owner of one of those clinics wears them—it was right there in their FAQ. Meanwhile, the doctor went ahead and got the procedure just to pose for some magazine spread. Does anyone actually know the deal here?

Never heard of presbyopia? You know, that thing where older folks say "my arms are too short," when they try to read a newspaper held in their hands and have to push it further away?

That's what's waiting for all of us! Because as we get older, our eyes just lose that ability to adapt, which is why seniors wear "reading glasses." Basically, your distance vision stays totally fine, it's just anything small and closer than, say, 15 inches, that gets blurry—completely out of focus.

So people who are nearsighted actually have it "lucky"—instead of needing reading glasses, their vision just moves closer to being perfect. 👍

Edward Green said:but a trip to Russia and the surgery is only 250 dollars, and here I am planning to pay way more because I'm paranoid.

That is seriously cheap😬

So, I got back from Russia about a month ago after undergoing Sclera surgery—which was actually recommended and performed by Dr. Ratchenko (yeah, that's how you say it), who is honestly one of the top specialists on the planet. But here’s the thing; I feel absolutely terrible. What I originally needed help with is actually feeling worse now, and I can't tell if this is just the standard post-op phase or if something else is going sideways. Basically, my eyes are having a massive struggle with that sclera implant—they just aren't accepting it—and my eye pressure recently clocked in at 40... so now I'm stuck using glaucoma drops. I really want to warn anyone WHOEVER IS CONSIDERING EYE SURGERY that it isn't going to be easy. Just because you have an incredible doctor or the procedure itself seems simple, it doesn't guarantee everything will go perfectly. At the end of the day, every single person is an individual, and their eyes are unique too.

So, my kids—they’re 11 and 13—are dealing with some seriously heavy nearsightedness, and the numbers just keep climbing (-5 and -12 right now). I’ve been hearing whispers that there’s this procedure called sclera surgery being done over in Russia that might actually help stop the prescription from spiraling further. I’m looking for anyone who can give me the real scoop here; if you have first-hand experience, or even if you know someone who’s gone through the whole thing, please jump in and share what it was actually like.

Hey Dennis and everyone—so here I am today dealing with this rib issue, and let me give you my FIRST piece of advice: please, for the love of God, ask your own doctors about this stuff. Around here, the system is totally corrupt. I even heard about this surgeon, Dr. Miller, who lost his medical license because he was working with those shady groups. My doctor told me straight up that it’s nothing more than a massive money grab, and honestly, it's actually illegal under our laws. I was absolutely floored finding out they'd actually operate on such young kids just to line their pockets... UNBELIEVABLE!!!
THAT’S WHY IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO TRUST YOUR DOCTOR AND NOT SOME RANDOM INTERNET FORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Listen, fellow parents, I almost fell right into that trap myself while just trying to do what's best for my kids...

My folks looked into this stuff too. I'm 15, just like you, and my prescription is sitting at -5.50, but we just weren't feeling it...

Sam Ruiz4 said:So, I got back from Russia about a month ago after undergoing Sclera surgery—which was actually recommended and performed by Dr. Ratchenko (yeah, that's how you say it), who is honestly one of the top specialists on the planet. But here’s the thing; I feel absolutely terrible. What I originally needed help with is actually feeling worse now, and I can't tell if this is just the standard post-op phase or if something else is going sideways. Basically, my eyes are having a massive struggle with that sclera implant—they just aren't accepting it—and my eye pressure recently clocked in at 40... so now I'm stuck using glaucoma drops. I really want to warn anyone WHOEVER IS CONSIDERING EYE SURGERY that it isn't going to be easy. Just because you have an incredible doctor or the procedure itself seems simple, it doesn't guarantee everything will go perfectly. At the end of the day, every single person is an individual, and their eyes are unique too.

I read your message and see you aren't happy with the scleroplasty you had. My daughter is 2.5 years old and her prescription is already -8. They told me it’ll probably keep getting worse as she grows, which has me really worried. I've talked to quite a few people who went through scleroplasty and they seemed satisfied, so I'm curious how you're doing now and what your overall take is on the surgery today—did it actually help you?
Thanks in advance for the reply