Orthoptic interventions in stroke patients

Patients admitted to hospital following a stroke, as part of the recovery process may require active intervention to relieve visual symptoms. The interventions include therapy, correct use of or modification to spectacles (including use of prisms), appropriate occlusion or the adoption of compensatory strategies to support ocular comfort. This paper falls into two sections. It initially provides an overview of the strategies currently used for vision problems found in patients who have had a stroke. It refers to the general indictors for intervention and the possible strategies that can be used. The second part of the paper looks at outcomes citing patient responses from a 2008 report to the Statewide Ophthalmology Service of the Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce. The strategies reported include therapy, correct optical use, occlusion and diplopia relief and strategies to maximise ocular comfort. Approaches used are often simple and very effective in terms of patient comfort or educating other team members about the need to support a compensatory strategy. Some strategies require active follow-up with variable outcomes. The outcomes support the benefits of orthoptic intervention in the care of patients recovering from stroke.