Your child’s doctor has recommended surgery (an operation) to improve your child’s strabismus (say: struh-BIZ-mus). The surgery
involves tightening the weak muscles and/or loosening the stronger ones. This helps the eyes line up better.
To learn more about this condition, please read “Strabismus.”
This brochure explains what happens during the surgery and how to take care of your child at home. You can use this information
to explain to your child what will happen, using words he can understand.
What happens during strabismus surgery
Before the surgery, your child will have a special "sleep medicine" called a general anaesthetic. This will make sure your
child sleeps through the operation and does not feel any pain.
The surgeon will tighten the weak muscles of your child's eyes and/or loosen the stronger muscles. The surgeon will use absorbable
stitches to hold the eye muscles in their new position. These stitches do not have to be taken out. They dissolve on their
own over the first 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.
During surgery, the eye is never taken out of its socket. The skin around the eye is not cut. No lasers are used.
What to expect after your child’s strabismus surgery
Patching
Your child’s eye(s) may or may not be patched after the surgery. If a patch is put on, the nurse usually takes it off before
your child is sent home from the hospital. If the patch is needed for a longer time, your child’s doctor will let you know
when to take it off.
Redness and swelling
Your child’s eyes may be red and slightly swollen for many weeks. The redness and swelling should start to decrease after
a couple of weeks. If the swelling gets worse or the redness lasts, please call your child’s doctor.
Pain or discomfort
Your child may have some discomfort or pain in the operated eye. Ask your child’s doctor if you can give medicine to relieve
the pain or discomfort.
Some doctors will also suggest putting cool water or ice water compresses on the eyes for comfort and to reduce the swelling.
Ask your child’s doctor if your child can have cool compresses.
To make a cool compress, follow these steps:
-
Always wash your hands before and after you touch your child’s eyes. Make sure any container you use is clean.
-
Soak a clean face cloth in cool water. Cool tap water is fine. If you have well water, boil it and cool it in the refrigerator
before you use it.
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Squeeze any extra water out of the cloth, then place the cloth on the swollen eyes.
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Leave the cloth on for no more than 2 minutes at a time.
-
Repeat a few times. Ask the doctor how often your child can have a cool compress. Several times a day for the first 1 to 2
days is often okay.
Double vision
Your child may see double after the operation. This will almost always go away as the swelling goes down and the child gets
used to the new position of the eye muscles. Call your child’s eye doctor if your child cannot see as well as he did before,
or if the double vision does not go away.
Pinkish or light yellow tears
Your child may have small amounts of slightly pinkish tears or blood-tinged discharge from the eyes for a couple of days after
the surgery. If the discharge does not decrease or if it becomes bloodier, call your child’s eye doctor.
You may also notice that your child has thin whitish discharge around the eyes, especially after the child wakes up from sleep.
Your child may also have clear light yellow tears at times.
To clean your child's eyes, rinse a clean face cloth in warm water. Put the face cloth on the eyes for 1 to 2 minutes. Then
gently wipe off the discharge.
If there is any yellow or green discharge, call your child's eye doctor.
The cornea and pupil should look normal
The clear covering of the eye, called the cornea, and the black pupil should always look the way they normally do. If they
look different, your child's eye should be checked by an eye doctor.
How to care for your child after the strabismus surgery
Antibiotic and cortisone drops
Sometimes, the doctor will order antibiotic drops or a combination of antibiotic and cortisone drops for the operated eye(s).
If your child needs drops, your child’s doctor will give you a prescription.
For information on how to use the eye drops properly, please see "Eye Drops: How to Put In."
Gentle play only for the first week
For the first week after the surgery, light activities such as gentle playing indoors, using computers, and watching TV are
fine. Avoid rough activities, sandbox play, or contact sports. Check with your child’s doctor about what activities your child
is allowed.
Baths and showers
Ask your child's doctor about baths and showers. Some doctors prefer your child to take a bath instead of a shower after surgery.
Please check with your child’s doctor.
It is fine to wash your child’s hair as long as you avoid getting soap or shampoo in his eyes. You should only wash your child’s
face with a clean face cloth and water.
No school or day care for 2 days
Generally, children should not go to school or day care for the first 2 days after the surgery. Please check with your child’s
eye doctor. Tell your child’s caregiver or teacher about any activity restrictions.
No swimming for 3 weeks
Swimming is not allowed for 3 weeks after the surgery.
Follow-up appointments after the strabismus surgery
To make sure your child's surgery is a success, follow-up appointments are as important as the surgery itself. Your child
will usually have 3 follow-up appointments, 1 at each of the following times:
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within 1 week after surgery
-
4 to 6 weeks after surgery
-
3 to 6 months after surgery
Check with your child’s doctor to see when the first follow-up appointment should be made.
Write the date and time of the first appointment here:
Glasses or patching after surgery
If your child needed glasses before surgery, he will most likely still need them after it. While surgery will help straighten
your child’s eyes, it is only one part of the treatment. Surgery alone is not a complete cure for every child. Sometimes,
“patching” an eye is also required after an operation.
If your child needs patching, your child’s doctor will tell you and give you the instructions.
For more information, see “Eye Patching.”
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the eye doctor who operated on your child’s eyes.
Key points
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Strabismus surgery involves tightening the weak muscles and/or loosening the stronger ones so that the eyes are positioned
better.
-
Your child’s eye may need to be patched after surgery.
-
After the surgery, call your child's doctor if the swelling does not go away or the redness gets worse; if the double vision
does not go away; if there is any yellow or green discharge from the eye; or if the cornea or pupil look different than normal.
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