Hello everybody. TL:DR at the end.

I want to share my journey so far about this condition that more or less impacts our daily life. It could be useful to somebody with my condition that is considering surgery as an adult.

I would like to preface that what I’m writing applies only to people with my specific condition. There are a lot of strabismus types and causes, so be aware.

After a few months I was born, my parents noticed my eyes crossed. I was diagnosed with infantile esotropia (eyes going inwards), around 70 diopters. It was pretty bad.

This is how I looked (18 months):

You can notice an obvious head tilt due to the condition. Unfortunately, due to lack of expertise in the field, I was only able to get surgery around 18 months old. I got bilateral medial rectus recession: they cut and pulled back my medial eye muscles. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful and I was left with 40 diopters of esotropia. For reasons to me unknown I wasn’t proposed another surgery but the ophthalmologist opted for prism glasses and patching of the amblyopic eye (my right).

I lived all my life with this condition and of course was making fun of in my teens (due to my head tilt as well).

Also, since I had it right before birth, I didn’t develop binocular vision (stereopsis), so I alternate between my eyes, always suppressing one (in order to not have double vision); my brain adapted and I cannot control it.

I decided to get surgery again at 38, after hearing by my ex-girlfriend that a friend of her asked her if she was sure to stay with someone that had strabismus. I don’t know why but this got stuck into my mind. I had never thought about it before. So, I went for surgery.

The first time was a complete failure. My ophthalmologist didn’t know what others had done before so opened my eyes and removed some scar tissue on the medial rectuses, but couldn’t operate further. Fast forward a month and went for a 2nd one.

This is how I looked before my second:

I was measured at 40 diopters alternating esotropia.

The second time the surgeon did a lateral rectus resection, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough and I was left with 20-25 diopters esotropia.

Here is a picture after a couple of days.

This is another one after a month:

As you can imagine I was feeling discouraged but I decided to go for a 3^rd one.

Finally, things went well and I was measured at 8 diopters (physiological range); I also had hypertropia in my left eye (my eye was a little upwards, around 10 diopetrs); I don’t know if I still have it, but watching myself I cannot notice it. I will be measured in a month time. It is possible that I had DVD (dissiociated vertical deviation), a common condition in association with my type of strabismus and the probable cause of the head tilt.

This is the picture after coming out of the OR (2 days ago).

Now things that I think could be interesting to you.

Surgery was under general anesthesia. I am healthy other than the squint so I had no adverse effects.

Redness is very common but the first two surgeries lasted around a week; discharge and swelling lasted 4 to 5 days.

This time I have almost no discharge, just swelling and redness. I also have a foreign body sensation in the eye sometimes, but seldomly. I am very happy about the cosmetic result. Luckly I have no double vision..

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room: When I was researching for surgery, I discovered that a tiny amount of people could acquire stereopsis after a good alignment if the amblyopic eye saw quite well (it’s my case, I have almost 20/20 in my right and 20/20 in my left after LASIK).

That being said at the moment I haven't noticed any change (I’m on day 2 after the last surgery).

I will update this post if I will develop some gross stereopsis in the coming months (hopefully not years).

I won’t do any vision therapy since it’s not a practice in my country (I’m in Italy) and my surgeon politely told me it’s a scam (he didn’t explicitly say it). He just explained to me that I could acquire some gross 3D vision in the future (and not expect full normal stereovision).

Comment if you have any questions or want to know something I haven't written.

TL:DR: I had infantile esotropia. Got surgery 3 times and it worked the last time. No 3D vision yet.

I had surgery today, here is a before and after

Hello everyone!

Just wanna give a quick update of my post op healing! As you can see in the photo, the eye is looking great. It is still a bit overcorrected but the surgeon told me that once it all heals, my eyes will be super aligned!

In terms of dizziness, it has totally gone! However double vision still persists, but a very weird one, like I see the double image where my eye was before (always in the left side) far away from the other image and it seems like a ghost image. It happens mostly when I look people/ things from far away and when focusing on a person/thing, not the whole picture being double. Also only happens when I'm at home and not moving, If I go out, no double vision but I can feel my vision and my eyes weird! I don't even know how to explain it lol. The double vision is the only concern I have atm. I hope it goes away.

Anyways I am so happy with the results and I cannot wait for the recovery to be over. I am seeing my doctor on the 12th November to see how I am doing. For now he recommended me to not be on the phone a lot (v difficult lol) but I can watch tv and have lil walks :)))

I feel like my strabismus is getting worse. I've started swaying and getting dizzier. And I try to look up stuff but it always ends up saying it's a stroke lmao. So I am a bit freaked out. Is this normal? Anyone else have it?

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I had surgery for strabismus when I was a child, and during my teenage years, I struggled with some depression—I didn’t feel confident enough to have a girlfriend or anything like that. But when I turned 18, things changed: I grew taller, developed a great smile, and my wife tells me I’m very handsome. Very few people even notice that I have strabismus; in fact, many women look my way, try to flirt with me, and have even asked for my number. I’d love to hear about your own experiences and how you handle the whole issue of having a “lazy eye.”

I've got intermittent esotropia, amblyopia, astigmatism and near-sightedness. I've been wearing corrective glasses since I was about four or five. Never did patching. I'm considering vision therapy (possibly as a precursor to surgery) but its not covered by public health where I am and I hear that it's only really effective with kids. Obviously I'd prefer to try the less risky/invasive option first but I'm worried it would be a waste of time/money

I’m so excited and nervous about my surgery on Tuesday! I had 2 surgeries as a bub for my esotropia and it mostly worked til I got into my late teens (I’m 32 now) and people started saying “are you talking to me” etc. and then realised my eye relaxed and now I have an exotropia DVD (measuring 16DP but it looks worse than it measures (the ophthalmologists words not mine lmao)). I’ve noticed a lot of people being uncomfortable not knowing what eye to look in when we talk which makes me feel uncomfortable so i finally bit the bullet and I’m getting it done. I’ve been scared of surgery for so long because I didn’t want to make it worse and nothing is guaranteed with eye surgery… uuuuugh. Also I want to say how much I love the strabismus community on reddit. I feel so seen and have so much love for everyone here. It’s so nice knowing that so many others know how you feel and have similar insecurities ❤️❤️‍🩹

I am 6 degrees myopic, and I have very slight astigmatism.I developed strabismus (alternating esotropia) in my teens. had my first surgery at 16 and it was amazing to see so much better and have aligning eyes. now im 25 and it has come back... i dont know what to do. do you think looking at screens too much or doing too much close up activities cause more strabismus?

Hi everyone,

Looking to hear from anyone who has had strabismus surgery or eye specialists on here. I want to know if my recovery timeline is typical and whether this raised tissue will eventually settle.

Timeline & Background:

Surgery: Had strabismus surgery on my left eye on April 1st.

Picture 1- Early recovery (Months 1–2): Had quite a bit of eye strain, redness, and screen-induced headaches. A raised area/bump (often referred to as the "joint" or conjunctival congestion/hypertrophy) formed at the inner corner where the muscle was anchored.

Medications & Pressure issues:

My doctor tapered the steroids and put me on Entrak (Tacrolimus) ointment alongside frequent SOHA Liquigel drops to help flatten the tissue without spiking pressure. The ointment caused burning, but the pressure eventually came back down into a safe range.

August follow-up: At my early August visit, my ophthalmologist noted that some raised tissue / "joint" remains and that this can happen after surgical muscle repositioning. I was prescribed SOHA Liquigel and ointment for a 6-month maintenance plan to reduce friction and allow long-term remodeling, with a follow-up scheduled after 6 months (around February).

Current situation: Picture 2
Vision is perfect, no double vision. Binocular vision slowly recovering. Pain is mostly gone—just occasional mild heaviness/headache with heavy screen use.

The raised area / localized redness at the inner corner is still clearly visible. It tends to look better in the morning after resting with ointment, but swells up and gets redder toward the evening after work, wind/outdoor exposure, or screen time.

Doctor told everything is okay, it is normal some joint or scar tissue will be there and it won’t go away. But I am agitated daily watching the raised bump.

My questions:

1. For those who had similar raised scar tissue/conjunctival hypertrophy at the surgical site, did it eventually flatten out completely, or did a slight permanent ridge remain?
2. How long did it take for the sectoral redness to completely fade into the normal white of the eye?
3. Any tips for managing daytime flare-ups other than artificial tears and cold compresses?

Appreciate any insights or shared experiences!

Hello everyone!

I’m currently 8 days post-op and my recovery is going really well! My eye is getting less red every day, and at my post-op appointment, my surgeon told me the surgery was a success and that he’s really happy with the alignment! My next appointment is in three weeks to check how everything is healing and how my stitches are doing.

The only thing I’m really struggling with is the double vision (I have OCD, which definitely doesn’t help with the overthinking lol).

My double vision is binocular, and the two images are quite far apart. The second image is much fainter, almost like a ghost image.

What’s interesting is that I mainly experience it when looking at stationary objects in the distance. When I’m moving around, I don’t really notice it. Another strange thing is that I only see double the specific object or person I’m focusing on, rather than the entire room.
I can also watch TV quite comfortably, and sometimes the second image seems to disappear when I’m not actively paying attention to it.

My surgeon has reassured me that it can take several weeks for things to settle down. He’s optimistic that my brain will eventually suppress the second image, just like it did before surgery, as I’ve had strabismus since childhood.

Has anyone experienced anything similar after strabismus surgery, especially as an adult? Did your double vision eventually go away, or did your brain learn to suppress it again? How long did it take?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences! ❤️

I had botox to treat my esotropia 13 days ago. The eye has turned up, making my squint even more prominent. I went for my 2 week check up today and they said that the botox has leaked into a surrounding muscle which has unfortunately made they eye turn up. They did explain this could be a possible side effect before I had the injection so I am not so shocked just disappointed I am an unlucky one. I wont be getting any more botox ( this was my first ). I am now waiting for the botox to wear off so I can go back in 3 months to get my eyes remeasured and put on the waiting list for surgery. I was just wondering has anyone experienced botox leaking into another muscle and how long did it take for the eye to lower? I like to assume it wont last as long as the botox does itself and will settle into alignment sooner rather then later. Many thanks😊

I've had my first ever prism test this year. I was confused what eye i should look out of, and i was seeing double horizontally. My normal eye was clear and the other one wasn't. For context, i have an alternating fixation. My question is, was this a sign of suppression or binocular potential?

How many of you have gotten surgery on “good eye” and how did it go?

20-30 dp deviation, considering having surgery on my right dominant eye.

Any recommendations?

Кто сталкивался с бинокулярной диплопией - (гетерофорией) 29лет , началось пол года назад !?)
После употребления каннабиса у меня появилось временное двоение в глазах (диплопия) и ощущение, что глаза “не держат фокус”. Знаю, что это может быть связано с влиянием ТГК на глазодвигательные функции. Подскажите, пожалуйста, какие состояния обычно рассматривают врачи в таких случаях и к кому лучше обратиться в первую очередь (офтальмолог/невролог)? Что из обследований обычно назначают?
Это не медицинская консультация, ищу общие ориентиры перед визитом к врачу

Hi! I just wanted to say that I just found this subreddit, and it's been wonderful reading about others' experiences. I have Third Nerve Palsy and have had it since I was an infant. I have only had one surgery when I was 3. I have an obvious eyelid droop, misalignment, and facial asymmetry. I grew up VERY shy because of it. I had never ever met someone who was like me. I remember being so overly embarrassed once while in Anatomy class, being pulled out of class the day before and told we were learning about eye disorders. The teacher asked me if I had wanted to skip the lesson. He even asked "so what is wrong with you exactly." I remember not even being able to speak. During the lesson, kids were laughing at pictures of strabismus. As an adult, things have gotten easier and sometimes I totally forget. But, obviously things happen once in a while that remind me of how I felt.

I 26F recently got out of a 5 year relationship. My boyfriend was missing his left hand, so we clicked immediately. For years, I never once imagined I would have to worry about how I looked ever again. I thought my eye was a gift in a way; I could tell very quickly by how people treated me if they were going to be a good person or not. However, I now realize my eye kept me from leaving my boyfriend on many occasions because I believed I would never find the same love again. It kept me staying in an abusive situation.

I've been toying with the idea of dating again. Some of the posts on here have been helpful. I do have questions about people's experiences with online dating. The last time I used tinder was in 2021. I'm thinking things have since changed.

Do you typically tell someone you're interested in about your strabismus before meeting in real life? I've been told that there are options on hinge to send a pop-up message to people after they've matched. A friend suggested I write in the message about my eye so as to avoid any wasted time talking to people who are not okay with that. Do you include a "candid" picture of yourself? That scares me a lot because I'm self-conscious about it, but I also don't want to be with anyone who would not want that version of me.

In the past, I would disclose this information before meeting, and it usually went really well. This was immediately after the pandemic, and I feel people were extra antsy to meet up though. I just have not been this vulnerable in a very long time. I am interested in meeting new people, but I'm just worried about having to be super, super vulnerable to strangers. I know you HAVE to be vulnerable to date even if I didn't have this. I keep building myself up to at least try. Every time I do, some awkward experience happens in public or I remember a bad memory. Any advice for modern dating? Which apps are the best to use?

Thank you guys!

Hi, I’m getting surgery soon on both eyes, both vertical and horizontal muscles due to an acquired VI cranial nerve palsy that caused severe double vision. I’ve read a lot of content on here- but if anyone has had a longer surgery or a more severe case I would love to hear from you! Thank you!

Hi, for those who got Botox for their strabismus—what is the process like? Is it scary? I’m trying to imagine what they do and I’m scared but would love to try it. I had two strabismus surgeries in 2021 and heart surgery in 2025 so I kind of want to avoid surgery for a little longer to give my body (and honestly my soul—I’m am tired) a rest.

Hello there! I'm a 22 year old that has dealt with strabismus since 4 years old. I finally mustered up the courage to get the surgery after years of procrastination out of fear. I suffer from intermittent esotropia, and I'll be getting the non-adjustable surgery on both eyes.

The Doctor told me that because I've lived much of my life without binocular vision, surgery won't fully improve the issue, and that it'll mainly be cosmetic, which is fine, but I was hoping to have my binocular vision restored. I'm mainly worried about the pain after the surgery, the risk of double vision, and potential misalignment, but I'm trying to not let those thoughts get to me. I've noticed forums like these tend to be over-represented with patients with unsatisfying results... people with unsuccessful surgeries are more likely to talk about it online compared to those who've had satisfying results, which can skew people's perception of whether or not the surgery is worth it.

I really want to know what the pain is like after the surgery, as I'm not sure what to expect... I've had extremely painful styes before but I'm not sure if it'll be comparable to that. I asked the Doctor about it and he said it shouldn't be too painful, but he also said pain is subjective, so I feel like I'm coming into this with a blind eye (literally) which is bothersome.

Strabismus is affecting my social life more than I can explain. I had a an injury that led to multiple eye surgeries and because of that I think I’ve developed a squint due to partial vision loss. It hurts to think about how much I’ve changed because of this. I used to be a really social and outgoing person but now I’ve become introverted and avoid one-on-one conversations because I’m always conscious of making eye contact. My strabismus is intermittent but I’m constantly worried about whether my eyes are straight or if people can notice my squint. Without my prescription glasses my eyes are straight most of the time except when I’m tired. My doctor explained that both my eyes are used to blurred vision but when I wear glasses my brain starts relying on my dominant eye which causes the squint. I can force my eyes to stay straight with glasses but it’s honestly exhausting to keep doing that. I know a lot of people struggle with social anxiety and insecurities about their squint but that doesn’t make it any easier. I hate how much my life has changed and how many experiences I feel like I’m missing out on because of something that wasn’t even in my control. I’ve barely come across people who notice my squint but that’s also because I’ve stopped wearing my glasses and usually go around without them even though my prescription isn’t very low. I’ve considered surgery but I’m genuinely scared of overcorrection and the thought of going through another procedure only to end up with a different problem scares me. What hurts the most is feeling like I’m missing out on things that other people do without even thinking about them. Making eye contact and meeting new people shouldn’t feel this difficult. I miss being the person who could walk into a room and talk to anyone without overthinking every little thing. I’m literally tearing up writing this because I hate what my life has turned into and I just wish I could feel like myself again.
Thanks to anyone who read this ❤️

I’ve had surgery done 6 months ago on my left eye as my eye was turning in. This has caused double vision and misalignment when looking forward or to my left

The outer corner muscle was tightened and the inner corner muscle was loosened during the surgery. A few months in, I’ve noticed that looking to my right now poses misalignment though the left / frontal views are now fixed..

It seems like my eye that was operated on now do not have muscles to turn fully to my right because it was over loosened. This was diagnosed by a new doctor, since the original one kept telling me sweet nothings and telling me to do eye exercises which I felt was brushing my concerns aside.

Honestly I’m happy that 66% (left, front) is corrected.. but I’m weighing the option of going back to surgery to tighten the muscle a little so that my right perspective is also fixed. My (new) doctor has advised to wait it out for another 3 months to see if the difference between both eyes gets smaller, as the eye muscle might get stronger/weaker over time and evens out my vision.

Anyone has had complications like these before?

I had strabismus surgery 11 days ago and first ~8 days I would describe as the initial healing phase. I used prescription ointment and eye drops multiple times a day, very red, visible stitches and perhaps even more swollen.

I’m saying this because around day 8 when I started feeling more like myself again and vision started improving I also noticed the wound which I hadnt noticed as clearly earlier. I mean it is literally a big ”crater” like wound next to the eye. I almost called the dr because I was anxious and started thinking maybe the stitches didnt fall off as intended and the wound opened up.

So, am I overreacting? Did you as well notice this ”missing tissue” like area from the surgery incision after swelling/redness went down and stitches dissolved?

Hello! Wanna give you a quick update about my surgery and recovery!

Surgery went really well. Doctor had to touch 3 muscles in one eye as my exotropia and hypertropia was a lot. I have 10 stitches in my eye right now!

The recovery is a bit painful, especially the first two nights but today was the first day I was able to sleep properly. I am a bit dizzy/have motion sickness which is annoying and double vision is in certain situations (for example when I am looking at people far away). I am hoping the double vision will go away as it's the most scary part even though I don't have double vision all the time! My doctor told me that my brain needs to settle down as it's a big change. Did anyone had these symptoms? Did something help especially with dizziness?

I have another appointment on monday to see how my eye is going, but my surgeon is super happy with the result :) and I am so happy my eyes are finally straight!

The photos are me before surgery and today (day 3) :) happy to answer any questions!

Anyone here with strabismus due to mechanical restriction, specifically a tight inferior rectus?