Squint surgery at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals Murrayfield and Shawfair Park

A squint is a misalignment of the eyes which occurs when both eyes are not directed at the same point. Surgery may be required to realign the eye muscles.

There are a range of surgical and non-surgical options available.

Our patients are at the heart of what we do and we want you to be in control of your care. To us, that means you can choose the consultant you want to see, and when you want. They'll be with you every step of the way.

All of our consultants are of the highest calibre and benefit from working in our modern, well-equipped hospitals.

Our consultants have high standards to meet, often holding specialist NHS posts and delivering expertise in complex sub-specialty surgeries. Many of our consultants have international reputations for their research in their specialised field.

You will have a formal consultation with a healthcare professional. During this time you will be able to explain your medical history, symptoms and raise any concerns that you might have.

We will also discuss with you whether any further diagnostic tests, such as scans or blood tests, are needed. Any additional costs will be discussed before further tests are carried out.

We've tried to make your experience with us as easy and relaxed as possible.

For more information on visiting hours, our food, what to pack if you're staying with us, parking and all those other important practicalities, please visit our patient information pages.

Our dedicated team will also give you tailored advice to follow in the run up to your visit.

The main options for treating squints are:

• Treating visual loss if it has occurred
• Wearing glasses if required to correct any refractive error

Treating lazy eye

A squint is the main cause of a lazy eye and the younger the child is when diagnosed the more successful the treatment is likely to be. The treatment aims to restrict the use of the good eye to encourage the problem eye to work. If treated early enough the vision will usually improve, often back to a normal level.

The most common approach is to put a patch over the good eye for however long is recommended, depending on the severity of the condition. It can take weeks or months for the eye patch to be successful.

Occasionally, eye drops which blur the vision in the good eye are used or glasses that prevent the good eye from seeing clearly can be used instead of an eye patch.

Correcting refractive errors

If a child is long or short-sighted then glasses will be prescribed. This corrects vision in the eye and might also straighten the squinting eye, if the refractive error was the cause of the squint.

We are committed to delivering excellent individual care and customer service across our network of hospitals, clinics and specialist care centres around the UK. Our dedicated and highly trained team aim to achieve consistently excellent results. For us it's more than just treating patients, it's about looking after people.

Important to note

The treatment described on this page may be adapted to meet your individual needs, so it's important to follow your healthcare professional's advice and raise any questions that you may have with them.