Factors Affecting the Perception of Strabismus Among Pediatric Ophthalmologists

To define potential factors that influence the perceived urgency of strabismus surgery with a specific focus on the contributions of gender, degree of strabismus, and direction of strabismus.

An electronic survey was sent to members of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS). Respondents provided demographic information and ranked eight photographs of adults digitally altered to create varying degrees of strabismus according to perceived urgency for surgery.

Pediatric ophthalmologists ranked deviations of increasing size with increasing treatment urgency. Men were perceived with higher urgency for treatment compared to women in the smaller angles of strabismus. No consistent preference for type of deviation was found.

The gender of the patient and the amount of misalignment may influence the urgency of surgical management among strabismus surgeons. [.