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Twenty Years after Childhood Strabismus Surgery

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be addressed to: John D. Baker, M.D., Dept. of Ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital of Michi-gan, 3901 Beaubien Blvd., Detroit, MI 48201.

Introduction: Children with infantile or acquired esotropia often have surgery in the first few years of life. Many of these children have additional surgeries and may also be treated for amblyopia. As pediatric ophthalmologists, we do not often have the opportunity to learn the affect of this strabismus on their life as they have become adults, completed their education and chosen a career and during this time, what has happened to their eye alignment.

Methods: The charts for all children having had surgery for esotropia by the author from 1977 to 1984 were obtained and attempts were made to contact the patients. Five hundred thirty-one charts were identified, 131 contacts were successfully made, and 37 patients were examined.

Results: Seventy-eight percent of the infantile esotropia patients did not change their alignment from the last regular office visit and 90% of the acquired esotropia patients continued their good alignment an average of twenty-four years following surgery. Patients treated for amblyopia maintained their treated best corrected vision. Most patients did not feel their "corrected" childhood strabismus affected their school or social accomplishments, and most felt they were good readers.

Conclusion: Children with "corrected" childhood strabismus tend to maintain this into adult life and it does not affect school performance or their career choice.

Key words: infantile esotropia, acquired esotropia, strabismus surgery