Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai Treats an Adult Patient Showing There is No Age Limit to Correcting Squint

An adult patient visiting Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai to be assessed for a Lasik procedure ended up being diagnosed with a squint, of which she was unaware. The patient was successfully treated after an eye realignment surgical procedure. Squint is common amongst children and generally picked up in childhood when it is relatively easy to diagnose and correct. It can cause debilitating double vision and affect the quality of life. However, there is no age limit to correcting the problem.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/589626/The_Incredible_Dr_Khan.jpg )

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/589632/Dr_Irfan_Khan.jpg )

Squint (also known as 'strabismus') is a misalignment or crossing of the eyes. When it occurs in adults (known as 'adult strabismus'), it may be a residual problem from childhood, which had never been diagnosed, or could occur as a result of eye disease, stroke or even eye tumours.

Emma Quintin - the Moorfields Dubai patient - is a Dubai resident and UK national, with a family history of eye problems. She had always had 'tired eyes' but no discomfort or impairment - and no diagnosis of squint. This all changed after a road accident at the start of 2017.

"I never really noticed the squint and so was surprised by the diagnosis, although my brother and grandmother had vision problems and I felt that my eyes were always tired," said Emma. "Now, I can see properly and it is an incredible feeling; I work in the visual arts, theatre and TV, making good vision essential for my work. The eye realignment surgery was quick and straightforward. I was in and out of the hospital within the afternoon. Whilst there is always some risk involved, this was explained to me in depth prior to my operation and I went ahead full of confidence. In fact, I was so pleased with the results and with the care I received that I composed a special poem of thanks to my doctor, entitled - 'The Incredible Dr. Khan'."

After a family friend in Dubai recommended that she visit Moorfields, the hospital team - led by Dr. Khan - was able to assess and diagnose the problem.

Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan, Consultant Ophthalmologist Specialist in Paediatrics, Strabismus and Cataract, at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: "We are very pleased with Emma's results, recovery and progress. Squint is generally diagnosed in childhood, but of course there is no age limit for squint patients. Surgery is an outpatient procedure that we carry out at the hospital and patients quickly go back to a normal life. We were especially pleased that the hospital was recommended to Emma by an existing patient, as this is always the ultimate test of the quality of our patient service."  

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai has treated more than 150,000 patients - including many complex cases - of nearly 200 nationalities since opening in Dubai Healthcare City, in 2007.

Notes to editors

About Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai 

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD) is the first overseas branch of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the oldest and one of the largest centres for ophthalmic treatment, teaching and research in the world. Located at the Al Razi Medical Complex in Dubai Health Care City, the facility provides day care surgery and outpatient diagnostic and treatment services, for a variety of surgical and non-surgical eye conditions. MEHD will also raise standards for research and teaching in the region. MEHD is owned and managed by the NHS Foundation Trust, and maintains close links with London, to ensure that patients in the GCC receive the best eye care treatment in the world.