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Orthoptics
What is Orthoptic Therapy?
Orthoptic therapy is a highly individualized treatment program designed to eliminate or improve symptoms associated with poor eye coordination skills. At our office, this program is monitored and tailored to each individual’s needs throughout the course of therapy. Special lenses, prisms, and filters may be used, along with other specialized instruments and an advanced computer system. Many of the activities can be done at home, including the computer program. However, the patient must be motivated to perform these tasks as directed in order for success to be achieved.
What is evaluated to determine the need for Orthoptic Therapy?
Prior to beginning an orthoptic therapy program, specific measurements must be taken. Special measurements to determine convergence and divergence ability (how well the patient can cross and relax their eyes) are taken, with the use of prisms. Depth perception (stereopsis), eye alignment in various positions, and the ability to track or follow an object in different directions are also measured and monitored throughout the therapy process.
Some patients with eye coordination problems may have good convergence measurements initially. However, upon repeated testing, they easily fatigue.
When is Orthoptic Therapy necessary?
Although most vision problems associated with school-aged children can be easily corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, some problems require more sophisticated treatment. Problems with binocular vision (eye coordination) such as intermittent exotropia and convergence insufficiency are not optical and cannot be corrected with eyeglasses alone. Rather, they are muscle type problems which require therapy, and in some cases, surgery.
Who can benefit from Orthoptic Therapy?
Orthoptic therapy is most commonly successful for treating convergence insufficiency. Intermittent exotropia occurring less than 25% of the time can also be successfully treated using orthoptics. It is especially helpful for those who experience eyestrain, headaches or double vision after reading or prolonged near tasks. Also, patients who will require or have undergone some types of strabismus surgery can benefit from the increased fusional ranges achieved through orthoptic therapy.
What is Convergence Insufficiency?
We require our eyes to work together in a sophisticated, coordinated manner when reading, working on a computer, and while doing any extended near visual task. Convergence insufficiency is a form of intermittent exotropia in which the patient is unable to maintain convergence on near objects. Thus, when reading, these patients often experience headaches, eyestrain, double vision, blurry vision, loss of place, or the words appear to move on the page. Many patients may avoid near work due to these symptoms. Also, these symptoms may be more frequent and intense at the end of the day, or when the patient is tired. The best treatment for convergence insufficiency is orthoptic convergence exercises.
Orthoptic Therapy has been recommended for my child. How do I schedule these sessions?
In East Brunswick, Tuesday afternoons are reserved for OT sessions, although morning appointments can also be arranged. Please speak with our technicians about scheduling OT in Bridgewater. We will arrange for six sessions at one time, usually at the same time each week. This will help you and your child plan for the time commitment needed.
How many sessions will my child need?
After the six week course of therapy, Dr. Craig will reevaluate your child and determine how many more sessions, if any, will be needed. Usually, 3 or 4 more sessions are recommended.
How much will it cost?
Our fee is $58 per orthoptic therapy session. Because vision and eye alignment will be monitored throughout the course of therapy, we also charge for an office visit (CPT code 99212 or 99213) on certain visits. Unlike other therapy providers, we only charge for each session as it is rendered.
Will
I be charged for an OT session if my child cannot make the appointment?
Because we have a blocked group of OT appointments, we cannot book other types of appointments in those reserved slots. Therefore, we charge a $40 cancellation fee for any appointment that is cancelled.
Will my insurance company pay for orthoptic therapy?
Some insurance contracts allow some benefits for orthoptic therapy. Contact your insurer and ask whether OT (CPT code 92065) is a covered benefit. If so, ask how many sessions would be covered, and whether there is a time limitation for any benefits.