Effect of Mild to Moderate Myopic Refractive Error on Surgical Outcomes of Intermittent Exotropia in Children

Abstract

Purpose: We evaluated the effect of myopia on lateral rectus recession in children with intermittent exotropia.Methods: Medical records of patients with mild to moderate myopia who underwent lateral rectus recession for intermittent exotropia surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped into three groups according to their spherical equivalents (SEs) (group 1: SE > -1.0 diopter [D]; group 2: -3.0 D > SE ≥ -1.0 D; group 3: SE ≤ -3.0 D). The success rate of surgery after 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months, and the degree of correction were reviewed. Surgeries were considered successful if the amount of exo/eso-tropia or phoria was within +10/-10 prism diopters (PD) after 12 months.Results: There were no significant differences in mean exodeviation at any time point among the three groups. The degree of correction per lateral muscle recession (PD/mm) was 2.05 ± 0.40, 2.33 ± 0.57, and 2.00 ± 0.30; 2.13 ± 0.46, 2.06 ± 0.26, and 2.14 ± 0.13; and 1.93 ± 0.47, 2.11 ± 0.32, and 1.92 ± 0.25 at 1, 3, and 12 month(s) after surgery in the three groups; however, the results were statistically significant at 3 months only. The surgical success rate was 81.82%, 100%, and 100% in the groups, respectively, with no significant differences among groups.Conclusions: There was no difference in the surgical success rate or degree of correction among groups with mild to moderate myopia. No additional surgical correction is needed in myopic patients with intermittent exotropia.