Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society

Surgery to straighten the eyes is usually elective, and is not an operation done to recover lost vision. The position and mobility of the eyeballs would be restored to a more optimal status through tightening or loosening certain groups of eye muscles.

What are the objectives of squint surgery?

to align the eyeballs and improve fusion of images, so as to prevent the development of amblyopia (lazy eyes) in childhood
to improve cosmesis
to relieve double vision

The operation can be done on either one, or both eyeballs, depending on the clinical condition. Surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia.

What are the potential risks of having a squint surgery?

In general, squint surgery is safe. But it is not free of risk. The followings are possible complications that may be associated with the squint surgery itself:

inflammation and bleeding on the conjunctiva (the ‘white’ part of the eye)
infection of the eye
corneal abrasion (scratch)
double vision
over- and under-correction
accidental penetration of the eyeball in unusual circumstances, leading to intraocular haemorrhage, damage and possible detachment of the retina
in extremely unusual cases, loss of vision due to infection / penetration of the eyeball / vascular occlusion
In extremely unusual cases, cardiac / respiratory disturbance may occur

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for reference only and does not serve diagnostic or treatment purposes nor does it serve as any recommendation towards the use of particular eye treatment products.