Treatment varies accordingly to the type of squint. An operation is not always needed. The main forms of treatment are:

• Spectacles: to correct any sight problems, especially long sight.
• Occlusion: patching the good eye to encourage the weaker eye to be used. This is usually done under the supervision of an orthoptist.
• Eye drops: certain types of squint can be treated with the use of special eye drops.
• Surgery: this is used with congenital squints, together with other forms of treatment in older children, if needed. Surgery can be performed as early as a few months of age.

The eyeball is never removed from the socket during any kind of eye surgery. The ophthalmologist makes a small incision in the tissue covering the eye to reach the eye muscles. The eye muscles are removed from the wall of the eye and repositioned during the surgery, depending on which direction the eye is turning. It may be necessary to perform surgery on one or both eyes.

When strabismus surgery is performed on children, a general anesthetic is required. Recovery time is rapid. Children are usually able to resume their normal activities within a few days.

After surgery, glasses may still be required. In some cases, more than one surgery may be needed to keep the eyes straight.

As with any surgery, eye muscle surgery has certain risks. These include infection, bleeding, excessive scarring and other rare complications that can lead to loss of vision.

Strabismus surgery is usually a safe and effective treatment for eye misalignment. It is not, however, a substitute for glasses or amblyopia therapy.