Expect the Unexpected: Preventing and Managing the Complications of Strabismus Surgery
Introduction
On behalf of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Orthoptic Council, and the American Association of Certified Orthoptists, welcome to this symposium. Today’s speakers will present information on planning and performing strabismus surgery as well as on recognizing and managing the unexpected complications that can arise. Our emphasis will be on troubleshooting, especially in situations where the most diligent preparation has not yielded a good result.
Kyle Arnoldi and I first conceived of the title of this symposium, “Expect the Unexpected,” at lunch with Paula Edelman in Los Angeles on September 6, 2001. It was only a few days later that the words “September 11, 2001” came to signify what they will mean for years to come: events so terrible few of us could ever have anticipated them, though we would all have wished to prevent them.
This symposium will provide valuable pearls to aid the general ophthalmologist in anticipating, avoiding, recognizing, and managing the complications of routine strabismus surgery. As the program makes evident, talks are divided into preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative sections. As the theme of this symposium suggests, the unexpected is not just a possibility, but a certainty. As clinicians, we cannot foresee the unexpected, but we can prepare to meet these problems with clearheadedness and grace. We hope that our presentations will foster these qualities should you encounter the unexpected.