Generally, surgery is postponed until that happens. In adults, a patch over one eye is one method of eliminating any double vision. Prisms incorporated into the eyeglasses is another. Surgery consists of tightening some eye muscles and loosening others, to change their pull on the eyeball and bring the eyes into alignment. Surgery is sometimes performed on infants as young as a few months of age when there is a good chance of obtaining binocular vision.
Children require a general anesthetic.
Adults often prefer to have a local. During the first month or two following surgery, exercises may be designed to redevelop the ability to use both eyes together normally. Strabismus surgery is quite safe, though it does involve some risk as does any surgery and anesthesia. If an operation is necessary in your case, the risks will be carefully explained to you along with the potential benefits. Many times, more than one operation is necessary to obtain good eye alignment.