Squint eye treatment - children and adults

Yes, absolutely. Squint surgery is effective in adults and older patients - it is not exclusively a childhood procedure. In adults, the goals are to eliminate double vision, improve binocular vision where possible, and achieve cosmetic alignment. The surgery itself takes 45 - 90 minutes under local or general anaesthesia and has a very high success rate.

If a squinting eye has developed amblyopia (lazy eye), patching the better eye for several hours a day forces the weaker eye to work harder and develop stronger vision. Patching is most effective in children under 7 - 8 years, when visual development is still active. It is usually combined with spectacle correction and sometimes with surgery.

Squint surgery is performed under anaesthesia (general in children, local sedation in adults). Post-operatively, the eye is red and sore for 1 - 2 weeks, similar to conjunctivitis. Pain is managed with simple over-the-counter analgesics and resolves quickly. Most patients are surprised by how comfortable the recovery is.

There is no single 'right' age - timing depends on the type and cause of squint. Infantile esotropia (inward turn present from birth) is often operated at 6 - 12 months. Accommodative esotropia (caused by long-sightedness) is first treated with glasses and may not require surgery. Our paediatric specialists will advise the ideal timing for each child.

A small percentage of patients (10 - 15%) have a recurrence of squint after surgery, particularly in complex or syndromic cases. A second surgical procedure can address this. Overall success rates for achieving acceptable alignment are above 85% for primary squint surgery.