eradicatelazyeye.org

Once upon a time there was a supposed "fact" well known in Ophthalmologic circles, that one could not treat amblyopia after age 6. The first paper I ever published (in 1977) found this to be a totally unsupported myth!! Optometrists and orthoptists had long had successful cases who started treatment well after age 6. The current "myth" has extended the boundary to age 9. This is no more true than the previous boundary of age 6. Amblyopia can be treated at any age, my oldest successful patient started treatment at age 64!! This does not mean that every case is successful, it is also true that not every case started at age 3 is successful. What can be more important than the age of the patient at the start of treatment can be the cause of the amblyopia (strabismus, refractive error, cogenital cataract to name a few) and the method of treatment used.

Ken Koslowe OD MS FCOVD-A (Academic Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development)