The Effect of Unilateral Lateral Rectus Recession in Recurrent Exotropia

ABSTRACT

There have been many problems in the treatment of exotropia. Especially, recurrence is very often while overcorrection is troblesome problem in the correction of recurrent exotropia. Considering less change in postoperative divergence at reoperation than at first operation, we performed unilateral lateral rectus recession in recurrent exotropia. Among the 40 patients who underwent recession and resection of horizontal recti in one eye and then unilateral lateral rectus recession in fellow eye because of recurrent exotropia greater than 15 delta, the cases who were followed more than three months were analyzed retrospectively. Forty patients were eligible. The male to female ratio was 1327. The mean angle of recurrence was 21.4 delta regardless of the angle of first operation, and mean recurrence time was 18.8 months. The amount of divergence from postoperative 1 day to 3 or 4 month was 11.7 delta at first operation, 0.0 delta at second operation. Sixty five percents at 3 or 4 month. 60.9% at 6 or 8 month, and 55.6% at 12 or 14 month postoperatively showed stability within 10 delta. Among the 18 cases who were able to be tested fusion, 10 cases showed fusion with Worth 4-dot test(55.6%).