Pediatric Eye Muscle Surgery (for crossed or lazy eyes). Strabismus is the term used to define misalignment of the eyes. Depending upon if the eyes cross in, drift out or if one eye is higher than the other, eye muscle surgery can align the eyes. The muscles of the eye can be weakened or strengthened to achieve the desired result. In children, this type of surgery is not cosmetic since left uncorrected, strabismus can cause a loss of vision in the eye or amblyopia. Amblyopia is a condition in which the brain shuts the vision to that eye off in order to avoid double vision. Medical insurance always covers this type of surgery for children and our office assists in obtaining any necessary prior authorizations. Surgery is performed under general anesthesia and typically takes about one hour. There are no patches or shields after surgery and downtime is quite minimal. If you believe your child has strabismus, please click here to schedule an appointment.