Surgery

Surgery to correct a squint may be recommended if other treatments are not suitable or do not help.

The operation involves moving the muscles that control eye movement so that the eyes line up better.

Preparing for squint surgery

Before surgery:

What happens during squint surgery

Squint surgery is done under general anaesthetic (where you're asleep) and usually takes less than an 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 to your eye muscles may be made when you've woken up after the operation. Local anaesthetic eyedrops are used to numb your eyes for this.

After squint surgery

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 may be given painkillers to reduce discomfort and some eyedrops to help with healing.

You may experience some of the following side effects:

You'll be asked to attend visits with an eye specialist after surgery. Contact them, the hospital or a GP if you have any severe or lasting side effects from surgery.

Returning to normal activities

It can take several weeks to fully recover from squint surgery.

Your doctor or care team can give you specific advice about when you can return to your normal activities, but generally speaking:

If you wore glasses before surgery, you'll probably still need to wear them. But do not wear contact lenses until you're told it's safe to do so.

Risks of squint surgery

As with any kind of operation, there's a risk of complications after surgery to fix a squint.

Risks include:

Speak to the surgeon about the risks of surgery before the operation.

Video: childhood squint

In this video, an expert describes the causes, symptoms and treatment for a squint in children.

Media last reviewed: 1 June 2023
Media review due: 1 June 2026

Page last reviewed: 6 January 2020
Next review due: 6 January 2023