THE LONG-TERM RESULTS OF SURGICAL-CORRECTION OF CHILDHOOD ESOTROPIA

The results of surgical management by one ophthalmologist of 102 patie nts with congenital esotropia and 74 patients with acquired esotropia in childhood were analysed. The majority of patients had undergone a m onocular recession-resection procedure, with 91% and 93% of patients s howing a reduction in the angle, of more than five degrees, following surgery for congenital and acquired esotropia respectively. Unexpected ly, varying the amount of lateral rectus resection from 3 to 6 mm, whe n combined with a constant 5 mm medial rectus recession, did not produ ce significantly different amounts of change in the ocular alignment a fter surgery. Patients with congenital esotropia generally developed a stable postoperative angle later than patients with acquired esotropi a. The degree of improvement of ocular alignment with surgery was inde pendent of hypermetropia, presence of preoperative amblyopia or fusion .