Surgical Outcomes of Modified Medial Rectus Resections in Recurrent Intermittent Exotropia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcomes of modified medial rectus (MR) resection using a lowered amount of MR resection for recurrent exotropia after bilateral lateral rectus (LR) recessions. METHODS: Fifty-six patients, who underwent MR resection from 2003 to 2017 for recurrent exotropia after bilateral LR recessions, were included. MR resection was performed using modified MR resection with a smaller amount of resection than the standard of 4 mm resection at 20 prism diopters (PD) of exotropia. Postoperative surgical results at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years were classified as a success (5 PD esotropia [ET]-10 PD exotropia [XT]), overcorrection (>5 PD ET), and undercorrection (>10 PD XT). The clinical factors affecting surgical results at postoperative 6 month and 2 years were also evaluated. RESULTS: The success rate was 78.2% at postoperative 1 month and 87.5% at postoperative 6 months. The overcorrection rate was 21.8% and the undercorrection rate was 0% at postoperative 1 month. At postoperative 6 months, the overcorrection rate decreased to 0% and the undercorrection rate was 12.5%. The success rate was 85.7% at postoperative 1 year and 66.6% at postoperative 2 years. There was no clinical factor affecting the surgical outcomes except the ocular alignment at postoperative 1 month. The deviation at postoperative 1 month was more esotropic in patients with success at postoperative 6 months and 2 years than that in patients with undercorrection (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The modified MR resection showed favorable results of 87.5% at postoperative 6 months and 85.7% at 1 year. The angle of deviation at postoperative 1 month was an indicator of subsequent surgical outcomes.