Effectivity of intraoperative adjustable suture technique in horizontal strabismus

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Surgical Techniques
• Strabismus Management

Background:

• Strabismus surgery aims to correct eye alignment.
• Traditional non-adjustable techniques have limitations in fine-tuning alignment.
• Intraoperative adjustable suture techniques offer potential for improved outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term effectiveness of intraoperative adjustable suture technique versus traditional non-adjustable strabismus surgery.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of adjustable sutures in complex strabismus cases.

Main Methods:

• A long-term follow-up study included 233 patients undergoing strabismus surgery.
• 118 patients were in the traditional surgery group (TSG) and 115 in the adjustable suture group (ASG).
• ASG included patients with paralytic, reoperations, and thyroid eye disease-related restrictive strabismus.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in correction of deviation for near or distant fixation were observed between ASG and TSG for exotropia (XT) or esotropia (ET).
• Overall success rates for XT were 78.9% (TSG) and 78.78% (ASG), and for ET were 78.75% (TSG) and 75.51% (ASG), with no significant differences.
• ASG demonstrated comparable success rates to TSG despite including patients with more complex deviations.

Conclusions:

• The one-stage intraoperative adjustable suture technique is as effective as traditional surgery.
• This technique is safe and effective for cooperative patients with complex strabismus, including paralysis, reoperations, and restrictive conditions.
• Adjustable sutures provide a valuable option for managing challenging strabismus cases.