Sanabel, Jerusalem, June 2012

14 year old Sanabel first presented to SJEHG, Jerusalem at the age of five years, 8 months.  At that time, she had been squinting for one and a half years. 

Sanabel had already been seen by a doctor elsewhere, who had given her some glasses and patching treatment, so was fortunate to demonstrate reasonable vision in each eye on her first visit to SJEHG.  However, because her visual system was still developing, it was necessary to refract her, increase her hypermetropic glasses prescription and patch her left eye during the following months in order to encourage good sight in both eyes.

By the age of eight years, Sanabel’s vision had stabilized at 6/6 each eye. She had a moderate angle convergent squint which improved slightly with her glasses because she was not wearing them full-time.

By the age of eleven years, Sanabel was wearing her glasses full-time, her vision remained good and her squint angle had reduced. She was discharged from SJEHG Orthoptic Department, requiring only annual refractions in the future.

Eight months later, Sanabel returned to the Orthoptic Department. She was still wearing her glasses and her vision was good but her squint had doubled in size. Despite investigation by the SJEHG Paediatric Ophthalmologist, Orthoptist and Optometrist, no reason was found for the increase and during the subsequent weeks, the squint angle spontaneously recovered to a smaller angle.

It was felt wise to observe Sanabel’s squint six-monthly and when she became fourteen years old, her mother expressed the wish for her to have corrective squint surgery.

On 11th June 2012,  Sanabel was admitted to SJEHG Children’s Ward for corrective squint surgery by Dr Humam. The procedure was successful in achieving a slight, cosmetically acceptable convergent squint without glasses, which improved so much with her glasses that it was hardly noticeable. Sanabel, her mother and the SJEHG team were all delighted.

Mrs Judith Musallam D.B.O.(D)
Head Orthoptist
St John Eye Hospital Group

*Our work treating young girls with squints in supported by Children of Peace