How Is Strabismus Treated, And What Are The Risks/Benefits Of These Treatment Strategies?

Aug. 24, 2009— -- Question: How is strabismus treated, and what are the risks/benefits of these treatment strategies?

Answer: There are numerous options to treat strabismus. Treating strabismus in a child can be as simple as prescribing the appropriate pair of glasses or as complicated as requiring invasive eye muscle surgery most often performed with general anesthesia. The goal of strabismus treatment is to realign the eyes so that the brain can see singly and also develop the connections necessary for depth perception or 3D vision. The risks associated with eye surgery include those that are associated with general anesthesia or the more rare instance of using a local anesthetic to accomplish eye muscle surgery.