Purpose: To identify the principal reactions of children facing strabismus surgery information as a result of its immediate and recent indication on medical consultation. Methods: Intervention/Action during Research; interview after surgery indication. Results: Anxiety and fear were the most important feelings encountered. They were sustained by partial concepts formed about surgery due the different levels of cognitive development of the children. The motivation for the surgery itself was only recognized among subjects older than 9 years. Children with less age had their surgery motivation mixed with the adults' purposes, especially parents, around them. Conclusions: The special meaning of this data seems to be that the symbolic function should be considered to psychologically prepare children for the surgery, in both directions: cognitive and emotional representation.
Strabismus; Strabismus; Anxiety; Fear; Cognition; Parent-child relations; Child behavior disorders; Patient participation
