Bimedial recession versus recession-resection for intermediate angle esotropia: a comparison of results

ABSTRACT

A retrospective study of 169 consecutive patients with comitant esotropia, selected according to certain criteria, was conducted to compare the results of bilateral medial rectus recession [BMR] with those of unilateral medial rectus recession plus lateral rectus resection [R-R]. Only patients who had not previous strabismus surgery, had no neurological dysfunction, amblyopia, or ocular or anatomical pathology or restrictive components, and whose angles of deviation, with correction, fell within the range of 25 to 45 prism diopters [delta D] at distance were included. Surgery was defined as successful if there was 10 delta D or less deviation from orthotropia [at distance, with correction] at least one year postoperatively. Using this definition, rates of success of the two procedures were comparable, averaging 71% for BMR and 77% for R - R; on the other hand, 5% of patients in the BMR group and 7% in the R - R group retained a deviation in excess of 20 delta D. BMR was also statistically superior in improving distance-near disparity and was associated with a lower rate of postoperative complications not related to alignment