Strabismus surgery outcomes in pediatric patients with developmental delay: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Purpose: Strabismus management in developmental-delayed children presents challenges, as outcomes are unpredictable due to factors such as limited neuroplasticity, poor central control, and subnormal binocular potential. This meta-analysis evaluates the outcomes of strabismus surgery in these children. Methods: Eligible studies published before 28 May 2023 were extracted from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane, PsychINFO, and gray literature. A meta-analysis was performed using STATA 14.0. The comparator group were children without developmental delays who underwent strabismus surgery. Fixed-effect and random-effect models were computed based on heterogeneity. Results: Our meta-analysis included 31 articles, with a total of 3687 subjects. There was no significant difference in the surgical dose for children with developmental delays compared to children without developmental delays (SMD -0.06, 95% CI: [-0.36, 0.23]). Post-operatively, developmentally delayed children had a significant improvement in their angle of deviation (SMD 2.79, 95% CI: [2.50, 3.08]) and could achieve a post-operative angle of deviation similar to children without developmental delays (SMD -0.20, 95% CI: [-0.51, 0.11]). The median rate of undercorrection was similar between developmentally delayed and children without developmental delays, at 20.4% and 20.2%, respectively. For the median rate of overcorrection, developmentally delayed children had a higher rate of 12%, compared to 4.35% in children without developmental delays. For developmentally delayed children, the median incidence is 71.45% for needing one surgery, 23.9% for two surgeries, and 7.15% for three surgeries. Conclusions: Strabismus surgery in developmentally delayed children may have higher rates of overcorrection and may need more repeat operations but could achieve significant improvements in their ocular alignment.