Treatment

Everything you need to know

Squint Treatment

Squint treatment for strabismus, is a non-surgical treatment option for individuals with eye misalignment (strabismus).

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Botulinum toxin therapy in Scotland

What is Squint Treatment?

Botulinum toxin for squint’s therapy involves injecting botulinum toxin into specific eye muscles to temporarily weaken or paralyse them, allowing the eyes to align properly.

Who would consider this treatment:

How does Squint treatment help?

Botox for squints can improve eye alignment and appearance, leading to enhanced self-esteem and confidence.

You can expect a reduction in double vision and eye strain, resulting in improved vision and overall quality of life.

Many patients have better depth perception and overall improvement in visual function.

Overall, Botox for squints can be a safe and effective treatment option for individuals with strabismus, offering the potential for improved eye alignment, vision, and quality of life.

It is important to consult with a qualified eye care professional to determine if this treatment is appropriate and to discuss the potential benefits and risks.

Botulinum toxin therapy in Scotland

Vision Scotland : Eye care specialists

Treatment Process

The surgery itself usually takes around 10 minutes and is pretty painless – although you might experience moments of mild discomfort. Please ensure you don’t eat or drink anything for 2-3 hours before your surgery.

Step 1

Consultation

Consultation with an ophthalmologist or eye specialist to determine if Botox for squints is a suitable treatment option.

Step 2

Procedure

The procedure is typically performed in an outpatient setting and may require multiple injections depending on the severity of the strabismus.

Step 3

Aftercare

Regular follow-up appointments to monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments to the treatment plan.

Frequently asked questions

The treatment we give is safe and there is no risk of developing botulism or food poisoning. We have never had a patient experience any general health problem with botulinum, but all medication carries a small potential risk of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). There is no known risk of harmful effects when the treatment is given to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, but some patients prefer to postpone treatment until they have given birth or weaned their child. If you are breastfeeding, we strongly advise that you express your milk to use for 24-48 hours following the injection.

You will be asked whether you would prefer to wear an eye shield or your own glasses to protect your eye. This is because your eye is numb and so it needs to be protected for about three hours after the injection in case something blows into it without your knowledge. You may feel an ache in your eye after the injection and you can take a painkiller to relieve this if necessary.

You will usually notice the effect about one week after the injection.

This can vary, but it usually lasts for weeks, and occasionally months, before it wears off. What are the possible side effects? Nearly all side effects are temporary and improve with time.

  • Temporary reversal or change in the direction of the squint
  • Temporary double vision
  • Temporary drooping of the eyelid on the injected side – this usually recovers after a few weeks
  • Bruising of the surface of the eye – the eye looks red (subconjunctival haemorrhage)
  • Bruising around the eye affecting the lids – looks like a black eye
  • Rarely, there may be a scratch on the front of the eye (cornea) from the anaesthetic used before the injection or from minor injury whilst the eye is still numbVery rarely, the injection can
  • cause permanent paralysis of the injected muscle
  • There is an extremely rare possibility of the needle piercing the eye, or significant bleeding occurring around the eye, causing serious eye or vision damage. (This risk is no greater than one in 5,000 injections).

Do not drive while you have double vision. It is very important that you discuss this with the doctor before treatment if this is of particular concern to you.

For more information, please see the double vision and driving section on the DVLA website.

We like to see all of our new patients one or two weeks after the injection. If the first injection did not produce an adequate effect, we may offer a repeat injection at that visit.

Sometimes we may offer to inject more than one muscle at the first or follow up visit.

Please note: there are a few patients that experience minimal or no changes to their squint, despite repeated injections.

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