J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2002 Mar;43(3):526-532.

The Clinical Analysis of Surgical Methods in Intermittent Exotropia

• Park JL
• Son MH
• Yun IH
• Won IG

Abstract

PURPOSE: The outcome after operations for intermittent exotropia were frequently unsatisfactory because of high incidence of postoperative undercorrection, overcorrection or recurrence. The author studied surgical outcome of each operation method in intermittent exotropia.
METHODS
The results of surgical treatment in 90 patients with intermittent exotropia were reviewed. The operative procedure were devided into 3 groups-bilateral rectus muscle recessions, unilateral lateral rectus muscle recession and medial rectus muscle resection and medial rectus muscle resection of dominant eye and lateral rectus muscle recession of non-dominant eye. The success of operation was defined as a final alignment of orthotropia, esotropia less than 5 prism diopter or exotropia less than 10 prism diopter in primary position at postoperative 6 months.
RESULTS
The method of of operation in medial rectus muscle resection of dominant eye and lateral rectus muscle recession of non-dominant eye lead to higher success rate than other surgical method (96.7%) and the difference with statistically significant (p=0.03). The success rate of bilateral rectus muscle recessions group was 76.6%, and that of unilateral lateral rectus muscle recession and medial rectus muscle resection group was 80.0%.
CONCLUSIONS
This result suggested that medial rectus muscle resection of dominant eye and lateral rectus muscle recession of non-dominant eye might be a most effective surgical method for intermittent exotropia.

Keyword

Intermittent exotropia; Lateral rectus muscle recession; Medial rectus muscle resection

MeSH Terms

Esotropia
Exotropia*
Humans
Incidence
Recurrence
Surgical Procedures, Operative