PERSISTENT BINOCULAR DIPLOPIA FOLLOWING CATARACT-SURGERY - ETIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

We studied all patients referred to the orthoptic department with bino cular diplopia following cataract surgery between January 1991 and Jun e 1993. Persistence of diplopia for a minimum of 3 months after catara ct surgery was required for inclusion in the study. Eighty-one patient s (2% of all patients who underwent cataract surgery during this time) satisfied the entry criteria. The patients fell into two groups: non- traumatic and traumatic cataracts. Horizontal deviations were seen in 24 patients. Vertical deviations were seen in 8 patients and a combine d horizontal and vertical deviation was seen in 49 patients. Fresnel p risms were used to manage the diplopia in 58 patients. Of these, 48 pa tients in the non-traumatic group regained binocular single vision wit h this prism while 10 in the traumatic group benefited. Mechanical and sensory causes are discussed.