The effect of strabismus surgery on retrobulbar hemodynamics

To investigate the potential alterations of ocular hemodynamics after strabismus surgery using color Doppler ultrasonography.

Twenty eyes of 18 patients and the left eyes of 20 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups according to the number of operated muscles. Group 1 included seven patients with surgery on one rectus muscle; group 2 included 13 patients with surgery on two rectus muscles. Nine patients underwent adjustable suture eye muscle surgery. The ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, short posterior ciliary artery, long posterior ciliary artery, and central retinal veins of both groups were examined. With spectral analysis, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistivity, and pulsatility indices were calculated.

There was no difference in the Doppler ultrasonography parameters between the group with surgery on one-horizontal rectus muscle and the group with surgery on two-horizontal rectus muscles. The adjustable suture procedure did not affect retrobulbar hemodynamics. There was no difference between the preoperative and postoperative Doppler examinations.

In contrast with some recent studies, our results suggest that the strabismus surgery involving one- or two-horizontal rectus muscles does not have a measurable effect on retrobulbar blood flow.