What is Squint Surgery?

Do you or your child suffer from strabismus? If so, you may be looking into how to fix squinting eyes. The two most common forms of squint surgery are Prismatic Correction Surgery and Corneal Reshaping Surgery. You can consult Prof. Dr. Suhail Sarwar at Suhail's Oculab or call +923111116600 for assistance.

The 3 main types of squint surgery

In children, squint surgery (or strabismus surgery) usually takes place in early childhood to correct what's called latent or hidden strabismus. The child has straight eyes when looking at something but as soon as they look away from that object one eye will begin to turn outward. There are three main types of surgery that can be performed for latent strabismus: selective muscle paralysis, occlusion therapy and proper alignment. In adults, squint surgery is generally called radial keratotomy and it involves eye incisions along a curved line about 2mm apart to gradually turn inward one of the eyes affected by strabismus.

Squint surgery - how does it help?

When you have a squint, also known as strabismus, both eyes are not aligned properly. This can cause several problems, including double vision and depth perception issues. It can lead to headaches or a distorted view of your surroundings that causes visual disturbances. No matter what type of squint you have—strabismus (ocular misalignment), exotropia (outward deviation), or esotropia (inward deviation)—the results are often clear: The straightening of your eyes through surgery will make your life better. In addition to fixing various eye problems associated with a squint, surgeries can be used to correct general appearance issues as well—such as asymmetry or unusual spacing between your eyes.

How much does squint surgery cost?

While squint surgery costs can vary from person to person, on average you should expect to pay somewhere in between $2,000 and $7,000. It’s important to note that having poor eyesight or needing glasses after a squint correction won’t increase your total cost of treatment. If you are having both eyes operated on at once, your doctor may charge more than if he were operating on one eye at a time. This is because it takes more time for him to operate on both eyes at once rather than just one at a time; it doesn’t mean you are getting any better treatment or that it will be done by an expert or by using better equipment.

Under which circumstances can you get free squint surgery

Squint surgery, or strabismus surgery, is available on the NHS for patients who meet specific criteria. There are three groups of people for whom squint surgery may be an option: children under one year old with either esotropia (inward turning) or exotropia (outward turning); children and adults over 18 with symptoms that have lasted more than six months; and young adults over 18 with a squint that has led to significant problems because it hasn’t been treated. All of these patients will usually also require some additional tests before they can be considered for treatment. Depending on your symptoms, your GP might send you to an ophthalmologist—an eye doctor who specializes in treating disorders of vision—for testing.

FAQ about squint treatment

Will squint surgery improve my vision? This will all depend on how your squint has affected your vision. In some cases, squint surgery can restore 20/20 vision, but in most, it can only restore vision to a point where you feel comfortable with it. Also, as mentioned before, squints that have been around for many years tend to improve over time and sometimes even disappear without any surgical intervention. Will my eyesight change if I’ve already had squint surgery? If you have already had an operation to correct your squint then there is a good chance that your vision will get worse over time - by about 1% per year.