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Strabismus surgery among aged medicare beneficiaries
1Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287-9009, USA.
Summary
Strabismus surgery is rare in aged Medicare patients, with most procedures correcting horizontal eye alignment. Adjustable sutures and reoperations were infrequently used.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Strabismus, or eye misalignment, can affect vision and quality of life.
- Surgical interventions are a common treatment for strabismus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of strabismus surgery in aged US patients.
- To analyze the types of strabismus procedures and their indications.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1995 Medicare Part B claims data for physician professional fees.
- Review of strabismus surgical procedures (CPT codes 67311-67343) and botulinum toxin injections (CPT 67345).
- Examination of a 5% sample of claims for diagnostic codes (ICD-9-CM) to identify procedure indications.
Main Results:
- In 1995, 9497 strabismus services were reported for 27 million aged Medicare beneficiaries.
- 6585 surgical procedures and 277 botulinum toxin injections were performed.
- Horizontal correction (69%) was more common than vertical correction (28%); exotropia was the most frequent diagnosis for horizontal surgery.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of strabismus surgery and injections in aged Medicare beneficiaries is very low (2/10,000 and 1/100,000, respectively).
- Horizontal deviations were most commonly surgically addressed.
- Infrequent use of adjustable sutures and reoperation codes suggests specific patient populations or technique preferences.
