How Safe Is Squint Surgery?

How safe is squint surgery?

Squint Eye Problem is most commonly found in kids. However, it could also develop into adults. In India, this problem is found in 4% - 6% of the total population, as stated by the National Institute of Ophthalmology in the year 2011. With so many new techniques, this problem is treatable in 93% of cases. However, in case other treatments do not work in correcting the squint problem, surgery is required as a last option.

As it is more common among kids, it is imperative to ensure the safety at first, before making a decision.

There are several risks involved in the squint surgery, as listed below:

1. Depending on the severity of squint, the patient may require a repeat surgery. Squint may not be accurately corrected with a single procedure. The chances of under or over correction do exist in the case of surgical treatment of squint.

2. Squint problem may reoccur. It could happen as the surgery involves moving the eye muscles to the correct position.

3. The patient may develop double vision in some cases. However, it gets to normal as soon as the eyes adjust to see using both eyes simultaneously.

4. There could be redness in the operated eye for a long period. It happens due to the formation of scar tissue on the surface of the eye. It causes blurred and distorted vision. This could be corrected surgically.

5. Very rarely, the inside eye may get damaged due to the deep stitches. Alternatively, the white of the eye may sustain a minute hole. This is further treated through laser technique.

6. Squint is corrected by moving the eye muscle forward or backwards to put the eye in correct position. This eye muscle may slip after or during the operation. This causes the eye to divert inwards or outwards, leading to flawed eye movement. If the problem is severe, it may not be treatable further.

7. The operated eye may develop an infection, rarely, however. It could be managed using eye drops as directed by the doctors. If any such problem occurs, the patient must report it promptly to the doctor.

However, it must be noted that these complications are experienced very rarely by the patients. They have been listed to keep the patients informed.