What is Squint surgery?

Strabismus surgery (also: extraocular muscle surgery, eye muscle surgery, or eye alignment surgery) is surgery on the extraocular muscles to correct strabismus, the misalignment of the eyes.[1] Strabismus surgery is a one-day procedure that is usually performed under general anesthesia most commonly by either a neuro- or pediatric ophthalmologist. The patient spends only a few hours in the hospital with minimal preoperative preparation. After surgery, the patient should expect soreness and redness but is generally free to return home.

Strabismus surgery is one of many options used to treat any misalignment of the eyes, called strabismus. This misalignment or "crossing" of the eyes can be caused by a variety of issues. Surgery is indicated when other, less invasive methods have been unable to treat the misalignment or when the procedure will significantly improve quality of life and/or visual function. The type of surgery for a given patient depends on the type of strabismus they are experiencing. Exodeviations are when the misalignment of the eyes is divergent ("crossing out") and esodeviations are when the misalignment is convergent ("crossing in"). These conditions are further categorized based on when the misalignment is present. If it is latent the condition is called a "-phoria" and if it is present all the time it is a "-tropia". Esotropias measuring more than 15 prism diopters (PD) and exotropias more than 20 PD that have not responded to refractive correction can be considered candidates for surgery.