If you or your child's eyes do not align properly, they have a condition known as strabismus. This condition can cause vision problems that will impact your or your child's quality of life. Therefore, you should correct the problem as soon as possible to achieve the best future results. Here is more to know about strabismus and when you or your child may need surgery.

What Is Strabismus?

Strabismus is a condition where both eyes are not aligned and don't work in unison. One eye will often be off to the side or up and down, while the other eye looks ahead. In most cases, the problem is tied to the brain rather than the muscles. Each eye may work fine independently. However, when both eyes are together, the brain somehow ignores input from the other eye.

Adults can acquire the condition later in life, especially if they've had a head injury or suffer from certain diseases. In these cases, the problem is more likely to be damage to the muscle and nerves. When either a child or adult has strabismus, they may have double vision or develop poor vision in the affected eye.

What Are Non-Surgical Strabismus Treatments?

Mild to moderate cases of strabismus may benefit from non-surgical treatments like vision therapy. This therapy is most effective with children. Non-surgical treatments use patches or occluders to train the brain to use both eyes together. Some eye doctors may also use biofeedback and eye exercises to help train the muscles. Special eye drops could also be useful.

What Is Strabismus Surgery?

Under general anesthesia, a surgeon uses stitches to tighten or loosen the eye muscles outside of the eye. This surgery helps control the eye's movement to make it less likely to move off to the side or top. Adults may get adjustable sutures to more easily fine-tune the result.

What Happens After Strabismus Surgery?

The surgery itself is not a long procedure. Most surgeons can do it within a few hours. Some people may notice new vision problems right after the surgery. But, most of these problems are related to the brain trying to adjust. Children tend to have an easier time adjusting than adults. Most people can go about their normal duties within a few hours of recovering from the surgery.

While you can have strabismus surgery at any age, results are usually better when the patient is young. Children's brains adapt more quickly to the changes in the eyes compared to adults. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't attempt surgery if you or an older child or teen has this condition. If you or your child have eye alignment problems or vision issues in general, see your eye doctor or ophthalmologist for more information.