Squint eye, also known as strabismus, is typically identified during a routine eye checkup. A paediatric ophthalmologist diagnoses the problem specifically in kids. A specialist in ophthalmology will make the diagnosis in teenagers and adults.

In order to determine the cause of strabismus, the eye specialist will first compile information about your general health and medical history. To determine whether the patient also has refractive problems, a standard visual acuity exam and refraction test are performed.

The following tests are used to identify the kind of strabismus and the severity of the condition. To check whether the eyes are moving and focusing in unison, an alignment and focus test is performed to see how the eyes are moving and focusing collectively.

In order to rule out any underlying diseases that might be the source of strabismus, the internal tissues of the eye are also checked. One particular examination that examines ocular alignment is the Hirschberg Corneal Reflex test. It establishes the location where the light is cast. It aids in determining the kind of strabismus.

The doctor suggests the best course of action for treating squint eyes after a precise diagnostic.

The patient must sign a consent document before being taken to the operating room (OT), or the patient's parents in the case of a youngster. The patient's temperature, pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen levels are assessed in the pre-operative area. The arm or hand has an intravenous (IV) line linked to it. In order to induce sleep or sleepiness, the patient is brought into the operating room (OR) and given general anesthesia or local anesthesia. The procedure consists of the following steps:

• To keep the eye open, the surgeon first inserts a speculum into it. The speculum is inserted into both eyes if both eyes' eye muscles need to be healed.
• To find the muscles that require repair, the surgeon will rotate the eye and make an incision in the conjunctiva.
• After making the incision, the muscles are immediately evident.
• The abnormalities in the eye muscle will be fixed using resection, recession, or plication procedures.
• To make a muscle short or small, resection entails cutting tiny muscular fibers. The muscle is then sewn back into position.
• In a recession, the eye muscle is detached from the point at which it is joined to the eye and then reattached to a different location on the eye.
• Plication is folding and sewing the eye muscle to create a new shape and size.
• The eye muscle is typically held in place with the aid of movable sutures.
• The surgeon makes sure that the alignment of both eyes is proper before doing the conjunctiva repair.
• The conjunctival incision is then stitched up with absorbable sutures.
• Anesthesia will be stopped once the surgery is finished. Before bringing you to the recovery area, the anesthesia team will make sure that your vital signs are stable.

There are some advantages to strabismus surgery:

• A Better Ocular Alignment:This results from strabismus surgery because the patient can maintain normal eye alignment by looking in the same direction.
• Reduced Or Eliminated Double Vision: In individuals who have diplopia the operation will take care of this issue and get rid of strabismus as the source of double vision. Even after surgery, double vision may still exist if there is another underlying cause.
• Restored Sensory Binocular Vision: Because the fields of vision of the two eyes don't overlap, strabismus patients have difficulty understanding depth. Squint surgery causes the field of vision to overlap, enabling depth perception and the formation of a single 3-D representation of the object.
• Expansion of Binocular Visual Field: Squint eyes frequently restrict peripheral vision to 120 degrees, making it impossible for the patient to turn and look to the sides. Surgery resolves this problem and increases vision from 120 degrees to 190 degrees.
• Enhancement of improper Head Posture: Strabismus patients frequently adopt an improper head posture (Ocular Torticollis) to obtain binocular vision and improve their eyesight. Following surgery, the patient won't be required to maintain the incorrect position, and the habit will gradually become better.
• Improved Social Skills and Self-Image: Many strabismus patients experience self-consciousness as a result of their crossed eyes. The eyes will appear normal after the surgery, which also has cosmetic advantages. As a result, the patient won't feel constrained, and their perception of themselves will also improve.

There are alternative methods for treating a squint eye besides strabismus surgery. These choices include:

• Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses: This approach is appropriate for persons with just minor strabismus who also struggle to focus on things because of uncorrected refractive problems.
• Prism lenses : are specialized lenses that aid in bending light so that it reaches the eye at the proper angle, hence minimizing the need to turn the eye to look at objects.
• Orthoptics or Eye Exercises: Eye exercises are effective in some squint eye situations, particularly when a patient has insufficient convergence.
• Medication: In some circumstances, eye drops or ointments can be used to treat crossed eyes. Botulinum Toxin Type A injections can weaken an overactive ocular muscle. This approach works well in addition to or instead of strabismus surgery.
• Patching : is a form of treatment that simultaneously addresses strabismus and amblyopia, or lazy eye. But this is only a short-term choice.
• Surgery : to remove the eye muscles is the most effective treatment option for squint eyes among all other options.

For up to 4 months, strabismus in children is not problematic. If the condition continues after that, it may cause a number of issues. The brain will begin to ignore the images from the abnormal eye the longer the eyes are crossed. The brain will again take a while to govern the aberrant eye after surgery if the treatment is put off.

If squint eye is not addressed right away, the following issues could also arise:

• The affected eye has permanently weak vision due to lazy eye or amblyopia.
• Blurry vision that will interfere with your daily activities.
• Eye strain and tiredness because the unaffected eye must work harder to perceive objects.
• Frequent headaches brought on by poor ocular function.
• Dual image generation in the eyes can cause double vision or poor 3D vision.
• A lack of confidence and low self-esteem brought on by eye looks.

If you don't consult a doctor right once, a brain tumour could occasionally be the source of strabismus, which would go unnoticed.

After squint surgery, recuperation typically lasts 4 to 6 months. For a speedy recovery at this time, you will need to exercise caution and closely adhere to the doctor's directions.

• You may detect pink or crimson tears in your eye in the first few days following surgery. The effects of this will wear off after a few weeks.
• There will be some eye pain and swelling, for which prescription drugs will be written. As your doctor has prescribed, take your medications.
• Most activities can be resumed after one or two days. Be careful not to indulge in any activity that can strain your eyes.
• Avoid activities like swimming and sports that can harm your eyes.
• Keep regular follow-up consultations with the eye doctor to track the progress of your eye's healing.
• Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet to help your body recuperate more quickly.

After squint surgery, you will be able to look with both eyes in the same direction and see the benefits immediately. The eye doctor will strictly advise that you receive yearly eye exams in the long run so that vision changes and other issues can be found and dealt with appropriately. A revision eye muscle surgery will also be required to fix the eye if it starts to stray once more.