Life Healthcare is a leading private hospital operator in South Africa and primarily serves the market for privately insured individuals, representing approximately eight million people. The group provides mainly acute care, high technology private hospital services.
Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital is a large Provincial government funded hospital situated in central Mthatha in South Africa. It is a tertiary teaching hospital and forms part of the Mthatha Hospital Complex.
The extensive hospital network includes 64 hospitals (of which 57 are majority owned by Life Healthcare and another seven in which the group holds substantial minority ownership), providing a range of healthcare services throughout South Africa.
What is Squint Surgery?
Squint surgery is eye muscle repair surgery carried out to correct a squint in the eye, a condition otherwise known as strabismus, cross-eye or lazy-eye. In some cases, strabismus can only be effectively treated with surgery.
Squint surgery aims to eliminate double vision, improve three-dimensional vision and improve the abnormal posture of the head. Squint surgery is usually carried out on children but may be done on adults.
How is Squint Surgery carried out?
During squint surgery the surgeon makes a fine cut in the tissue covering the eye and locates the eye muscles needing correction.
The surgeon strengthens and weakens the muscles in the eye by removing muscle or tendon and reattaching muscle further back in the eye.
Dissolvable stitches are used so that minor adjustments to the squint surgery can be carried out when the patient is fully awake.
About Squint Surgery
Key facts to plan your treatment: how long it takes, your hospital stay, anaesthesia, risks and recovery.
Duration of surgery/treatment
Squint surgery takes 1 to 2 hours to complete.
Days admitted
Squint surgery usually takes place on an outpatient basis with no overnight stay.
Anesthesia
Children, and most adults, receive a general anesthesia for squint surgery although it is possible to use local anesthesia.
Recovery
- You will be able to go home after a few hours of recovery following squint surgery.
- Most people can return to work or normal activities 2 to 3 days after squint surgery.
- The eye may remain red or bloodshot for up to 3 weeks after squint surgery, after which the eye will look normal.
Risks
- Temporary double vision.
- Permanent double vision (rare).
- Lost muscle, where the eye muscle recoils behind the eyeball.
- Perforation of the outer coating (sclera) of the eye.
- Retinal detachment (very rare).
After care
- Use prescribed eye drops or ointment for a few weeks after squint surgery.
- Take pain killers for any minor discomfort.
- Avoid rubbing the eyes for the first few days after squint surgery.
- Don’t go swimming for two to three weeks following squint surgery.
Hospital Group
Hospital Group
Private Hospital
Private Hospital