lazy eye - best course for treatment?

Sleepy

I've started noticing a turn in my daughter's eye when she's tired and wanted to get it checked out but unsure where to start. Do I have to go to an opticians first or can I bring her straight to an ophthalmologist?

If so, I'd be grateful for any recommendations of one in the Dublin area that's good with kids.

January

You can bring her privately to an ophthalmologist or you can got to your PHN and be referred publicly (I'd do this anyway because she can be treated privately and then moved to the public system once the appt comes through). Optician only for if she's older (i.e. a teen) in my view anyway.

Charlemount Clinic are supposed to be good.

Hannibal Smith

You need to bring her to your gp and get a referral letter.

How you proceed is completely up to you. We got a referral letter for tallaght, but found out they dont take eye referrals any more, so we went to Crumlin and got an appointment for 2 years later. We weren't willing to wait, so we went private and nearly 2 years later after glasses and patching its nearly gone.

You might be lucky with the public hospital though.

But first trip is to the gp for a referral.

rubberdungeon

You could make an appointment at The National Optometry Centre, Dublin.

http://www.dit.ie/national-optometry-centre/clinics/paediatricclinics/

Big Bag of Chips

I went to the PHN with my kids and got appointments within a matter of weeks. They get seen every 3-6 months as necessary and even at the appointments there is little or no waiting time. And the care and attention is second to none.

Although we are in the South East.

Start with the PHN, if things are not happening quick enough you can always go to your GP to be referred privately.

January

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

I went to the PHN with my kids and got appointments within a matter of weeks. They get seen every 3-6 months as necessary and even at the appointments there is little or no waiting time. And the care and attention is second to none.

Although we are in the South East.

Start with the PHN, if things are not happening quick enough you can always go to your GP to be referred privately.

First appointment 4 years ago for my first daughter we were waiting 3 months. Second daughter was referred at 6 months. She's 22 months now and still hasn't been seen.

Big Bag of Chips

January wrote: »

First appointment 4 years ago for my first daughter we were waiting 3 months. Second daughter was referred at 6 months. She's 22 months now and still hasn't been seen.

Jaysus! Is that in Dublin? Or South East? Sometimes I find if you ring, an appointment suddenly materialises. After that long, I'd be afraid her referral was after falling down the back of a filing cabinet.

January

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

Jaysus! Is that in Dublin? Or South East? Sometimes I find if you ring, an appointment suddenly materialises. After that long, I'd be afraid her referral was after falling down the back of a filing cabinet.

Dublin. Rathdown Road clinic to be precise. I know it hasn't fallen down behind the back of the filing cabinet because I've been ringing and asking every couple of weeks... I got told April but that never materialised... any time I'm in with my first daughter I always ask about it too. It's just crazy.

Rose35

I went privately to an opthamologist with my baby when he was 7 months, for peace of mind, as history in family of squints and lazy eye, the sooner they get seen the better, as can do wonders nowadays with patching etc. also, it is quite common for babies eyes to appear squinted sometimes, something to do with skin around eye, it usually is nothing to worry about, so I was told, best to get baby seen to though. thankfully my little one appears fine, will be seen again at 18 months by same opthamologist. I didnt even try to go the public route, so can't help you there.

Moonbeam

we lived in Fingal when the 1st needed hers tested,the PHN refered us to the AMO who then booked us an ophthalmologist appointment which was for over 12 months time.
The 2nd was referred in KIldare and there was no AMO referal and she was seen within weeks at the eye clinic in the health centre.
I brought the 1st child privately to the Charlemont Clinic.
It depends on the age of the child if they are 6+ a trip to an optician to start with should be ok.

Sleepy

Sorry, should have stated that she's 4, starting school in September and turning 5 at the start of October.

Anyone got a ballpark figure for going the private route?

Rose35

Sleepy wrote: »

Sorry, should have stated that she's 4, starting school in September and turning 5 at the start of October.

Anyone got a ballpark figure for going the private route?

The opthamologist we saw charged €50 for eye test (7month old). We have only had one visit so far. We live in the west.
Unusual is it not that you are only seeing the lazy eye now in a 5 year old, my nephew is 5 and is wearing glasses since he was 4 had a noticeable lazy eye since about 6months old. My sister went the public route with him, it was detected at an early developmental test with phn at about a year old and they kept an eye on it since that age.

galah

went to pediatrician last year September, eye appointment is THIS October...This is in Galway...weren't told about a private option...

Moonbeam

Yes, it was 150 euro.

Suucee

Im in the midlands, PHN noticed at 3 month check that LO had a slight turn. So referred us at the point. Told us if we didn't hear anything by 6 months to call them. Called them at 6 months and the ophthalmologist said they generally don't see them before 9 months . Got her appointment out for around 9 months.
They reckon it was more to do with the bridge of her nose but will be due back between 18 and 24 months.
Now at nearly 16 months I don't really notice it at all.
Id say maybe check with PHN and get in to the public system but if it is going to take ages might be better off going private. We were going to go private as thought it would take ages but couldn't believe when we got seen at 9 months.
I think its ridiculous the difference between counties for such an important thing like sight. A colleague of mine was told the same thing at her first appointment about it being the bridge of the nose. That was around a year old. When she was brought back they decided she did need glasses she was referred to temple street (I think) and now at 22 months she's had her glasses over a month now.

Big Bag of Chips

Her eyes will be tested in Junior Infants anyway, and she will be dealt with through HSE if they feel she needs it. The PHN mightn't see her now, because she is starting school.

Sleepy

rubberdungeon wrote: »

You could make an appointment at The National Optometry Centre, Dublin.

http://www.dit.ie/national-optometry-centre/clinics/paediatricclinics/

We have her on a waiting list for here and have been told we can expect an appointment in October/November for the Free Kids Clinic.

Normally I'd just wait for them to catch it in school but I have astigmatism in my left eye myself so best to get her checked thoroughly. My own condition actually went undiagnosed until the age of 12 when I landed myself in the Eye & Ear Hospital with some home-made fireworks (and my mother thought my interest in Science and Chemistry sets was a good thing! lol).

Thanks for all the input! Really appreciated.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

I live in North Dublin
My 7 month old was referred by the PHN, rang several times and was told waiting list is 16 months even though her file was marked urgent

Rang Dr. Oconnor's surgery in Charlemount clinic, asked if I needed a GP or PHN referral they said now, waited 2 and half months for the appointment. Cost 170.

Had to wait for nearly an hour in the waiting room as there was an 'emergency appointment' in before us, very unfair when a baby and toddler have to wait that long especially as we were paying so much. No apologies given. No lifts so had to leave buggy downstairs and carry baby and hold toddler.

Dr. was nice enough, exam was very thorough, we have to go back in 3 months ($$$).

If is only 50 in Galway I would actually consider going there, took nearly an hour to make sure we got there in time then waiting for an hour, only 2 hours to Galway.

Plan on going public whenever I get the appointment.

My friends daughter had eye test in school (north Dublin also), she was referred too and only had to wait a couple of months. Don't know why she was quicker, maybe the age?

Hannibal Smith

We go to the Charlemont and I think its €120 per visit (have to check that), our second guy has a turn too so we get a sibling discount

The previous poster is right, it is very buggy unfriendly and the secretary needs taking down a peg or two. Generally we do have to wait, but we get the earliest possible appointments so we dont wait around too long. The last time we were there we were the first appointment and by the time there were 4 other children in the waiting area. We usually bring books and fruit to keep ours occupied, but you're right it can be a long wait.

At the end of the day though hes had nearly 2 years of treatment under an excellent doctor where the eye has made a huge improvement, when under the public system his treatment wouldn't even have started yet. So it has been worth it