The clinical term for misaligned eyes is strabismus. While one eye is looking straight ahead, the other one points in toward the nose, out to the side, or, more rarely, up or down. McDonnell objects to the suggestion that it is a cosmetic issue. In fact, it is a deformity that affects vision and causes enormous emotional suffering.

"Strabismus is a fundamental problem in terms of communication. People whose eyes are not aligned never really make eye contact. They are well aware that it makes other people uncomfortable," said McDonnell.

The American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus has stated that strabismus can have a negative impact on an individual's employment opportunities, school performance and self-image. A study published in Ophthalmology in 2000 demonstrated that people whose resume photos showed strabismus were judged by potential employers to be less intelligent, less competent and have less leadership potential than people whose photographs displayed straight eyes.

About 5 percent of children are affected by strabismus. It may be present at birth or result from a head injury, an illness or develop due to farsightedness. It can be subtle or only appear intermittently. With the eyes pointing in different directions, the child's brain adapts by ignoring the image from the crooked eye and relying entirely on the straight eye. The result is that vision does not develop properly in the crooked eye. The child's eyes may be aligned later in life, but visual loss in the crooked eye can never be regained if not treated early enough.  

"There is a common misconception, even among pediatricians, that children will grow out of it. In fact, they grow into it; it gets worse," McDonnell said. Treatment options include eye drops, glasses, a patch on the normal eye to strengthen the weak one or surgery.  

Strabismus sometimes appears in adults as a result of stroke, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, tumor or thyroid eye disease. When it appears later in life, it causes double vision. The misalignment may be corrected with special glasses, medications or surgery.

McDonnell specializes in complicated eye misalignment and neurological eye misalignment. He is one of the few ophthalmologists nationwide who uses an adjustable suture technique when correcting adult strabismus. As the eye muscles are adjusted to reposition the crooked eye, the stitch is not permanently secured. The patient returns the day after surgery so the eye position can be fined tuned. The technique enables McDonnell to achieve a better than 90 percent success rate.

To make an appointment with an ophthalmologist at Loyola, call (708) 216-8563.

Opthalmology at Loyola

Loyola offers a complete range of ophthalmological services. Physicians are available at the Loyola Outpatient Center in Maywood, the Oakbrook Terrace Medical Center and the Center for Health at Hickory Hills. Complete ophthalmologic services, performed by experts in their fields, include:

• Vision correction for adults and children, including LASIK surgery
  
• Diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, including glaucoma, uveitis, cataracts, corneal infections and dystrophies, orbital diseases, nasolacrimal system disorders, dry eye
  
• Full range of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery
  
• Corneal surgery and transplantation
  
• Low vision rehabilitation
  
• Special diagnostic techniques, such as
  fluorescein angiography and ultrasonograhy, gonioscopy and visual field testing
  
• Orthoptics
  
• Neuro-ophthalmology

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