Hemodynamic changes after strabismus surgery

The aim of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic changes that may occur in the retrobulbar circulation after strabismus surgery, using color Doppler ultrasonography (CDI).

Fifteen healthy volunteers (control group, n=15) and sixteen patients diagnosed with strabismus were enrolled in the study. Either recession or resection was planned on one horizontal rectus muscle in the eyes of Group 1 (n=11) and on two horizontal rectus muscles in the eyes of Group 2 (n=10). CDI was performed to measure peak systolic velocity (V(max)), end-diastolic velocity (V(min)) and mean blood flow velocity (V(mean)) in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA) and posterior ciliary artery (PCA) in the control group and in Groups 1 and 2, both preoperatively and 2-7 days postoperatively.

The postoperative resistivity indexes in Groups 1 and 2 were found to be different from those in the control group. Preoperative V(max) and postoperative V(min) and V(mean) values of the vessels in Group 2 were different from those in both Group 1 and the control group (p<0. 001). In both treatment groups, the differences between postoperative and preoperative measurements of the parameters in the OA, CRA and PCA demonstrated statistical significance (p<0.001).

After strabismus surgery on the horizontal recti, there are some alterations in the retrobulbar blood flow with a significant difference between pre- and postoperative blood flow velocities after single and double rectus surgery. The clinical significance of these results needs to be determined because CDI may be a useful tool in the investigation of hemodynamic alterations after anterior segment interventions that may cause anterior segment ischemia.