Intermittent exotropia. Surgical results in different age groups

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Strabismus Surgery

Background:

• Intermittent exotropia is a common strabismus condition.
• Surgical intervention is often necessary for successful management.
• Bilateral rectus muscle recession is a standard surgical technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the surgical outcomes of bilateral rectus muscle recession in patients with intermittent exotropia.
• To analyze results based on age groups at the time of surgery.
• To determine the long-term efficacy of the procedure.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 111 consecutive patients with intermittent exotropia.
• Patients underwent bilateral rectus muscle recession.
• Minimum follow-up of 2 years.
• Analysis stratified by three age groups: <3 years, 3-6 years, and 6-17 years.

Main Results:

• Initial satisfactory surgical results were achieved in 56% of patients.
• 38% were undercorrected and 6% were overcorrected initially.
• After secondary management (primarily surgical), 95% of all patients achieved a satisfactory outcome.

Conclusions:

• Bilateral rectus muscle recession is an effective surgical treatment for intermittent exotropia.
• Secondary surgical management significantly improves outcomes for under- or overcorrected cases.
• The procedure yields high satisfactory results across different pediatric age groups.