Changes in Refractive Error Following Strabismus Surgery

ABSTRACT

To investigate the changes in refractive error following strabismus surgery, we stratified a total of 32 exotropic patients; 11 patients with horizontal recess/resect procedure in one eye; 11 patients with lateral rectus recession in one eye; and 10 patients with medial rectus resection in one eye. The cycloplegic refraction and corneal topography were examined prospectively in each group. We found a significant decrease in the refractive power at 180degrees meridian resulting in with the rule astigmatism in lateral rectus muscle recess group (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in the refractive power at 90degrees meridian resulting in against the rule astigmatism in medial rectus resection group in the first week after surgery (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant change due to mixture of the two procedures in recess/resect group. The changes in refractive power in four months after surgery gradually recovered to preoperative state in each group except 90degrees meridian in medial rectus resection group. These results indicate that the changes in refractive error in one week after strabismus surgery involved steepening of 180degrees meridian in medial rectus resection group, and flattening of 180degrees meridian in lateral rectus muscle recession group. However, there was no statistically significant change due to mixture of the two procedures in recess/resect group.