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Learn MoreWith time and support, children and teens can thrive after eye removal surgery (enucleation).
In the beginning, how easily your child adjusts to life with 1 eye may depend on their age.
For example, a young child who grows up with 1 eye will not notice the difference. They will develop and learn along with other children their age.
Older children and teens who have an eye removed will need time to adjust. But after that adjustment period, your child will begin to adapt. It might not make a big difference in the quality of their life over a lifetime.
Vision with 1 eye is different from vision with 2 eyes.
At first, these vision changes can make it hard to do everyday things. But your child will learn to notice things that will help them adapt to vision changes.
Your child might adjust naturally to having a smaller field of vision and different depth perception. But it can help to make simple changes to your living areas, such as adding colored tape to the edges of your ledges and stairs or placing common items in easy reach. Children can also learn new ways to do things on their own.
You can help your child learn to live with 1 eye using these tips:
Here are some ideas to help your child’s working eye get used to seeing by itself. This happens with time. But using these ideas can help it happen faster.
If you have questions or concerns about how well your child is adjusting to life with 1 eye, reach out to their care team. Your child’s care team is there to answer questions and help.
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Reviewed: April 2022