Clinical Significance of Refixation Time in Intermittent Exotropia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We compared the clinical significance of refixation time with other visual function tests in the aspect of the operation success rate in the intermittent exotropia patients. METHODS: This study included 40 intermittent exotropia patients who received bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession from August 2001 to March 2002. We evaluated pre-operation corrected vision, deviation angle, axial length, Worth 4 dot test and titmus test. We also checked refixation time for which deviated eye return to orthophoric position. And we observed their progress for at least 6 months. RESULTS: Refixation time was significantly(P<0.05) correlated with deviation angle. Refixation time corrected by deviation angle was defined as corrected refixation time and it was significantly(P<0.05) short in non-amblyopia group, good stereopsis group and fusion group than amblyopia group, poor stereopsis group and non-fusion group. Also it was observed to be short in success group than in failure group(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Because refixation time is relative easy to measure without specific equipment, refixation time should be used in patients who are poorly-cooperated and difficult to measure binocualr function with the degree of strabismus. And it may be considered a factor that affects operation success rate.