PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY

A child’s eye is not a miniature adult eye. It’s a very delicate organ that needs special care. At Dr. Bapaye Hospital, We have a team including a pediatric ophthalmologist, optometrist, anesthetist, and nurse, specially trained by ORBIS International in care of eye problems in children. The OT is equipped with Sevoflurane anesthesia to ensure safe pediatric anesthesia. Children are seen with appointments and on a priority basis.  A child-friendly environment and special instruments enable a detailed assessment of vision and eye problems even in infants. Special pediatric vision assessment charts like Leas symbols, hand-held and non-contact instruments like Retinoscope (to measure refractive power), Non-contact tonometer and tonopen (to measure intraocular pressure), Nidek Auto-keratometer and IOL master (for IOL power calculation), Titmus fly (to measure binocular vision) all are available at Dr. Bapaye Hospital and enable evaluation of children without sedation or anesthesia. The following problems are taken care of under this specialty:
REFRACTIVE ERRORS (Glasses): Even very young children may need to use glasses for proper development of their eye-sight.
AMBLYOPIA: Children who have a high or unequal refractive error in two eyes and those who have squint in one eye develop lazy eye or amblyopia. Due to this, the vision is subnormal in spite of wearing glasses or surgical correction of squint. Occlusion therapy within the first decade of life is necessary for the treatment of amblyopia. Special office by Synaptophore and Dichoptic Vision therapy is available at Dr. Bapaye Hospital.
SQUINT: Children may have squint or cross-eyes since birth or may develop later due to external factors like injury, viral fever, uncorrected refractive error, etc. The squint may be convergent (inwards) or divergent (outwards). It may be constant or intermittent. Each type of squint needs a different pattern of treatment. Some squints are corrected by glasses, some by exercises or occlusion therapy, while some require surgery. Treatment needs to be done at an early age so that the squint does not hamper the development of vision. Some squints in children or adults are cosmetically problematic and need specialized complicated surgery for their treatment. Adjustable squint surgery is also useful in complex cases. Non- surgical treatment like prism glasses or botox injections can help to relieve double vision in certain types of transient or variable squints. Sometimes squint can be an external manifestation of serious problems like eye cancer (Retinoblastoma), so a thorough evaluation is required. Dr. Bapaye Hospital provides expert management of all types of squint, including complex or vertical squints, in patients of all ages.
DEVELOPMENTAL CATARACTS: Children can have cataracts in one or both eyes at birth or may develop them in the early phase of life. This is sometimes secondary to intrauterine infections, metabolic disturbances, structural problems, or sometimes without any cause. Early recognition and surgical treatment as soon as the child is fit for general anesthesia is very essential for the development of vision. The surgery is different from that for adults and requires specialized instrumentation and expertise. If the child is more than 2 years old IOL can be implanted at the same sitting, otherwise, glasses or special pediatric contact lenses are required until the child becomes old enough. A thorough post-operative and life-long follow-up is required to detect delayed complications like lazy eye, glaucoma, or retinal detachment. Dr. Bapaye Hospital has highly experienced surgeons and anesthetists with all the necessary equipment (including small gauge vitrectomy) and high-quality lenses to give the best possible management of this potentially blinding problem.
DEVELOPMENTAL GLAUCOMA: Glaucoma can occur at birth or in early years of life and requires early diagnosis, specialized surgical treatment (Trabeculectomy with Trabeculotomy) and meticulous follow-up sometimes under general anaesthesia. As children are not able to co-operate for tests done in adults Dr. Bapaye Hospital is equipped with special instruments like Tonopen which can be used to measure intraocular pressure in children with accurate results.
CONGENITAL NASOLACRIMAL DUCT BLOCK: This presents with watering and discharge since birth. If it is not controlled by conservative means like massage and medication, Probing under general anesthesia is done at the age of one year. Probing with Ritleng intubation under endoscopic guidance is available for older children. If repeated probings fail surgery may be required. Dr. Bapaye Hospital performs pediatric Endonasal DCR surgeries (with an endoscope through the nose) with excellent results thereby avoiding an external scar and stitches.
CONGENITAL PTOSIS: Children may have drooping eyelids that pose a cosmetic problem or if severe can affect vision. Dr. Bapaye Hospital provides surgical treatment for the same. Sometimes glasses may also be required in these children.
CONGENITAL GLAUCOMA: Raised intraocular pressure can occur even in infants and damage the optic nerve. The child presents with buphthalmos (enlarged eyes), photophobia (light sensitivity), and epiphoria (watering). Dr. Bapaye hospital offers diagnosis and surgery for this critical condition, which, if done on time, can prevent blindness.

OUR IN-HOUSE PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGIST

DR. CHARUTA BAPAYE

M.S,D.O.,D.N.B, F.R.C.S.(Glasgow), F.M.R.F.

Dr. Charuta Bapaye, graduate from Dr. V.M. Medical College, Solapur, did her masters and diploma in Ophthalmology from Christian Medical College, Vellore. She was the best outgoing student both for graduation and post-graduation and gold medalist of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University for M.S. She pursued her fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus under ORBIS International at Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. She did a fellowship in phaco-emulsification at Madanapalle, under LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. She also did a short term observership in Oculoplasty and Contact lenses at LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, and Low Vision Aids at Sankara Nethralaya.
She is a specialist in pediatric ophthalmology and Squints at Dr.Bapaye Hospital. She has a special interest in pediatric and adult squint including vertical and complicated squints, pediatric cataract surgery with small gauge vitrectomy, congenital anomalies like ptosis, and nasolacrimal duct blocks, amblyopia (Lazy eye) treatment and retinopathy of prematurity and pediatric trauma management and rehabilitation of visually impaired children. She is also an honorary consultant at Indian Security Press Hospital, College of Optometry and Symbiosis Institute, Nashik. She has presented papers at the state level and national conferences. She is a member of the All India Ophthalmologic Society (AIOS), Strabismological Society of India (SSI), Maharashtra Ophthalmologic  Society (MOS), Nashik Ophthalmological Association (NOA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA). She has been secretary of NOA in 2007-2008.
Dr Charuta bapaye - Eye Specialist in Nashik
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