Your first step to squint surgery (strabismus) is to attend the clinic for a consultation with one of our eye doctors. You will have a full medical history review and a thorough eye examination to determine any cause for the squint, the extent of the squint and the effect it has on sight and life.
Your ophthalmologist will perform a series of tests to assess visual acuity, eye alignment, eye movements and the presence of refractive errors. Other tests commonly carried out in squint consultations include refraction tests and binocular vision assessment to evaluate how well both of your eyes are able to work with eachother.
Children usually need a period of observation and some treatment like glasses and patching before any operation can be carried out. Adults with double vision may also find after investigation that the cause is an eye squint. In these cases, a thorough assessment will be carried out for any neurological or muscular disease.
Based on the examination results, the eye specialist might suggest one of these treatments: glasses, vision therapy, patching, botox injections or strabismus surgery.
Glasses can aid in managing eye squints by correcting refractive errors that contribute to the condition. Glasses help reduce eye strain and promote proper eye alignment by increasing clarity and focus for each eye. Specialised glasses with prism lenses can further enhance eye coordination and binocular vision in some cases. Glasses may also incorporate vision therapy exercises to strengthen eye muscles and improve visual processing skills, supporting effective treatment of squints. While glasses play a beneficial role in squint management, they are often just one part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Vision therapy can help in treating squints by improving eye coordination, strengthening eye muscles, and enhancing binocular vision. Through tailored exercises and techniques, vision therapy can help to retrain the visual system, promote proper eye alignment, and reduce the occurrence of squints, complementing other treatment approaches for optimal results.
Patching can help with squints by promoting the development of binocular vision and strengthening the weaker eye. By covering the stronger eye with a patch, the brain is encouraged to rely on the weaker eye, which can improve visual acuity and eye coordination. Patching can be an effective treatment strategy, especially in cases of amblyopia (lazy eye) associated with squints, to encourage proper visual development and alignment.
Botox injections can be used to correct some squints, but the effects are temporary so injections need to be repeated regularly.
If surgery is required, squint operations are usually carried under a general anaesthetic.
Each eye has six muscles, which can be accessed through the conjunctiva (the membrane overlying the white outer coat of the eyeball). The muscles may be slackened off or tightened up and this corrects the squint. The eye will not be taken out of the socket during surgery. Your eye may be covered with an eye pad immediately following your operation, which can be removed the next day.
You can go home on the same day of the surgery. The effect of the operation in straightening the eyes is visible by the next day. There is no need to take time off from work as there is no pain or patching involved.
Your vision is likely to be very blurry due to the eye drops used during the procedure. This usually lasts for between 24 and 48 hours. If a transparent shield is provided to protect your eye following surgery – we advise that you wear it for at least the first 24 hours and wear it overnight for the first week. This will limit your chances of coming into contact with irritants that may affect your recovery.
We will also provide eye drops for you to take at home. Your surgeon will explain how often to apply them and for how long. You will be given a contact number which you can phone at any time if you have any concerns about your treatment. One of our clinical team will always be available. You will also receive a call from the clinical team one day after the procedure to see how you’re recovering.
Adhere to your post-care instructions provided by your plastic surgeon. Such as avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, wearing sunscreen, and using gentle skincare products.
If you have swelling or discomfort at the injection sites, apply a cold compress to help reduce inflammation and alleviate tenderness.
To reduce the risk of bruising, it is advisable to refrain from consuming alcohol and blood-thinning medications for a few days following injections.
Drinking lots of water to help flush out toxins from the body and promote faster recovery.
If you have any worries post treatment, please call us to arrange a telephone call or face to face consultation so we can address any concerns or questions you may have about the recovery process.
