When surgery should be done?
Existing amblyopia must be treated first. This can be done by patching the good eye, forcing the child to use the lazy eye. When the vision in the squinting eye becomes normal, the child will use each eye equally and the squint will be noted to alternate between the eyes. Once vision is restored in the amblyopic eye, squint surgery is performed to realign the eyes and to allow binocular vision to develop. Binocular vision can only be regained when a child is young. In a child with intermittent squint, surgery is not so urgent as he experiences binocular vision some of the time. In an adult, if squint has been present for a long time and binocular vision is not possible, surgery can be done to improve his appearance.
What is false or pseudo-squint?
Some babies, appear to have a convergent squint when folds of skin cover the inner part of the eyes. If a true squint is not present after medical examination, it is called a pseudo squint and no treatment is necessary.
Importance of early treatment
A child with untreated amblyopia will always have defective vision. A child with a constant squint will have no binocular vision. Early amblyopia treatment and/or squint operation may be required to enable the squinting child to have good vision in both eyes with normal binocular function.
