Strabismus
Surgery to correct a squint may be recommended if other treatments aren't suitable or don't help.
The operation involves moving the muscles that control eye movement so that the eyes line up better.
This page covers:
Returning to normal activities
Before surgery:
Squint surgery is done under general anaesthetic (where you're asleep) and usually takesless thanan hour.You or your child can usually go home the same day.
If your child is having surgery, you'll be able to accompany them into the operating room and stay with them until they've been given the anaesthetic.
During the procedure:
Sometimes, in adults and teenagers, further adjustments toyour eye muscles may be made when you've woken up after the operation. Local anaesthetic eye drops are used to numbyour eyes for this.
Following the operation, a pad may be put over the treated eye. This is usually removed the next day, or sometimes before you go home.
The eye is likely to be sore for at least a few days. You maybe given painkillers to reduce discomfort and some eye drops to help with healing.
You may experience some of the following side effects:
You'll be asked to attend follow-up visits with an eye specialist after surgery. Contact them, the hospitaloryour GP if you have any severe or lasting side effectsfrom surgery.
It can take several weeks to fully recover from squint surgery.
Your doctor or care teamcan give you specific advice about when you can returnto your normal activities, but generally speaking:
If you wore glasses before surgery, you'll probably still need to wear them. But don't wear contact lenses until you'retold it's safe to do so.
As with any kind of operation, there's a risk ofcomplicationsafter surgery to fix a squint. Serious complications are estimated to occur in 2to 3 in every 1,000 procedures.
Risks include:
Speak to yoursurgeon about the risks of surgerybefore the operation.
Find out what causes a squint and how it's treated. Also, read about the signs to look for in your child and when to see a doctor.
Find out what squint surgery involves, including what happens before and after the procedure, and what the risks are.
Johnny Farmer describes how his daughter, Holly, was diagnosed with a squint and talks about the operation and treatment that helped cure it.
Georgia Bennett, from Catford, had surgery to correct a squint. Both Georgia and her father, Daniel, were delighted with the results.