Squint surgery in the over sixties

We examined the indications for strabismus surgery in patients 60 years of age or older. A retrospective review was carried out of 111 case records of such patients operated on between January 1992 and May 1999. There were 59 females and 52 males, ranging in from 60 to 90 years (mean 67.3 years). The diagnoses were varied: the largest groups were cranial nerve palsies and consecutive strabismus. Fifty-six patients demonstrated binocular potential pre-operatively and 60 post-operatively. Twenty-three patients underwent reoperation. Twenty-eight patients also received botulinum toxin. The mean follow-up was 15 months, 54 patients were discharged within 6 months. Elective strabismus surgery in this age group constituted 7% of strabismus surgery activity (single surgeon). There were no complications. There is a demand for strabismus surgery in this ever increasing age group.