Timely surgery in intermittent and constant exotropia for superior sensoryoutcome

PURPOSE: To determine whether time of strabismus surgery for patients with acquired intermittent exotropia and constant exotropia influences postopera tive sensory outcome. METHODS: In a retrospective, cross-sectional study, 76 patients with acquir ed intermittent or constant exotropia and motor realignment were evaluated for postoperative sensory status, Age at surgery, duration of exotropia, an d presence of intermittent or constant exotropia were correlated with posto perative sensory status. The 23 male and 53 female patients had an average age of 9.3 years at the time of surgery and a mean follow-up of 5.9 years. RESULTS: Patients had a significantly greater chance of having postoperativ e stereoacuity better than 60 seconds of are (bifixation) if they were surg ically aligned before 7 years of age (P <.01) or before 5 years of strabism us duration (P <.05), or with intermittent as compared with constant exotro pia (P <.001). Patients with postoperative bifixation had earlier surgical intervention (P <.025) and shorter duration of exotropia (P < .025) than th ose with postoperative monofuration. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with intermittent or constant exotropia may achieve s uperior sensory outcome with motor realignment before age 7, before 5 years of strabismus duration, or while the deviation is intermittent. (Am J Opht halmol 2001;131:111-116. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.).